Bill Maher has sharply criticized the intense religious fervor surrounding former President Donald Trump, who recently survived an assassination attempt. The incident, which occurred last weekend, has sparked a wave of reverent responses from some Republican officials, prompting Maher to denounce what he views as a dangerous trend of idolization.
On Friday’s “Real Time” with Bill Maher, the host lambasted the reaction to the shooting during his “New Rules” segment. He described the Republican response as an “orgy of magical thinking” and criticized those who have portrayed Trump as divinely protected.
Maher took issue with social media comments from figures like pro boxer Jake Paul, who suggested that the attempt on Trump’s life only elevated him further. “When you try and kill God’s angels and saviors of the world it just makes them bigger,” Paul wrote, which Maher derided as a statement from someone “who gets hit in the head for a living.”
The comedian, known for his secular views, compared the fervor surrounding Trump to organized religion. He pointed out that after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania—an attack that resulted in one death and two injuries—images and statements portraying Trump as protected by divine forces flooded the internet.
Several lawmakers, including Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), invoked religious rhetoric following the shooting. Salazar praised “the Lord Almighty” for Trump’s survival, while Scalise referred to the incident as a day of “miracles.” Maher also criticized Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) for suggesting that God deliberately spared Trump, using historical figures like John Lennon and Martin Luther King Jr. as counterexamples.
Maher condemned the commercialization and adulation of Trump as a form of “demigod worship,” asserting that such reverence is unhealthy. “Donald Trump, even if you like him, is powerful enough as a past president, a likely future president and, to be perfectly frank, a cult leader,” Maher declared. “America doesn’t need a demigod. … It never turns out well.”
He concluded his remarks by urging people to stop interpreting random events as divine messages, emphasizing the need for a more rational perspective on political figures and events.
