Bill Maher has issued a scathing rebuke to Republicans for their about-face on abortion rights, saying they are “like the dog that caught the car.”
The 68-year-old comedian addressed the issue of abortion rights while discussing the Arizona Supreme Court’s strict ruling establishing a near-total ban on abortion, which has led some Republicans – notably Donald Trump – to walk back their support amid backlash.
Trump previously called for overturning Roe v Wade, which triggered the Arizona ruling, but angered his supporters by speaking out this week against a nationwide ban.
Maher suggested that Republicans are like “the dog that caught the car” because they didn’t know what to do now that they had achieved their goal.
“For 50 years, they talked about ending abortion. They did it and it’s very unpopular, and now they have to lie,” Maher said.
Bill Maher, 68, criticized Republicans for backtracking on their absolutist stance on abortion, suggesting they are like ‘the dog that caught the car’
Abortion is expected to be one of the most important issues in the 2024 elections, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which prompted some states to pass strict abortion bans, unpopular among large swaths of the country. voters.
Donald Trump came under fire from his own party this week as he flip-flopped on abortion, calling it a “state issue” after previously taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade and arguing that women who had abortions should be “punished.”
Trump faced scrutiny from his party this week as he waded into the abortion debate, under pressure to clarify his position following outcry over the ban controversy in Arizona.
He said: “My view is that now we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine it by vote or legislation, or maybe both.
“And whatever they decide, it must be the law of the land. In this case, state law. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative weeks than others, and that’s what they will be.
“In the end, it all depends on the will of the people.”
Trump also sparked backlash among his more right-wing supporters with a post in Truth Social, in which he admitted that Arizona had “gone too far” with its abortion ruling.
The statement marks a departure from Trump’s past rhetoric – including calling for any woman who has an abortion to be “punished” – as Maher stressed it could hurt his base.
“Can he lie his way out of this?” Maher questioned, adding that the abortion issue means Arizona, a swing state, will be “definitely in play” for Democrats in 2024.
“A lot of people think it’s murder. This is why I don’t understand the principle of 15 weeks, or Trump’s plan: “Let’s leave it to the States”. You mean, so killing babies is okay in some states? » asked Maher.
“I can respect the absolutist position. I really can. I chastise the left when they say, “Oh, you know what, they just hate women, people who aren’t pro-choice.” They don’t hate women. They just made that up.
He went on to make a point that led to public silence, noting, “They think it’s murder, and it kind of is.” I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean, there are 8 billion people in the world. I’m sorry, we won’t miss you. This is my position on this.
Trump also sparked backlash among his more right-wing supporters with a post on Truth Social, in which he admitted that Arizona had “gone too far” with its abortion ruling.
One of Maher’s guests, British journalist Piers Morgan (pictured), acknowledged that Trump had made a U-turn for “political reasons” but said he saw the logic behind it because abortion is essentially a “huge banana skin” for Republicans in the election.
Maher’s argument that abortion rights could swing elections in favor of Democrats comes as a new Wall Street Journal poll finds it a major issue among suburban women .
The poll found that 39 percent of suburban women say abortion is a decisive election issue for them, with three-quarters saying it should be legal all or most of the time, while one The majority find Trump’s positions too strict.
One of Maher’s guests, British journalist Piers Morgan, acknowledged that Trump had flip-flopped for “political reasons” but said he saw the logic behind it because abortion is essentially a ” massive banana peel” for the Republicans during the elections.
“He did it in 2016 to rally evangelicals to his side. He said, “I’m going to pack the court, I’m going to get this done and overturn Roe v. Wade. “So they all came with him, and I think now he thinks he has them,” Morgan told Maher.
“I don’t support what he’s doing, but I understand the political reasons why he’s doing it, and I think he could be quite effective in neutralizing what is becoming a huge banana peel for the party .
“And I think that’s what he’s recognized and he’s getting ahead of it.” I think this might work for him.
The debate comes amid poor polling for Biden and Trump ahead of the election, with Americans widely believing that while in the White House, both did more harm than good on key issues.
But the two candidates have different weaknesses.
For Biden, it is widespread discontent on two subjects: the economy and immigration. Trump, meanwhile, faces an electorate that a significant number of people believe has harmed the country on a range of issues.
A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that more than half of U.S. adults believe Biden’s presidency has hurt the country in terms of cost of living and immigration, while nearly half believe Trump’s presidency has harmed the country when it comes to voting rights and election security. , relations with foreign countries, abortion laws and climate change.
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