Maher Blames Trump for Domestic Terror Plot; Suspect 'a Moderate Among Republicans'

February 23rd, 2019 5:34 PM

On Friday’s Real Time, host Bill Maher talked about Christopher Paul Hasson, the Coast Guard lieutenant arrested for allegedly planning a domestic attack on liberal politicians and media figures. He did his best to argue that President Trump’s rhetoric inspired the foiled terror plot, describing him as “a moderate among Republicans.”

Maher read aloud information about Hasson, comparing him to Cesar Sayoc, a Trump supporter who's been charged with allegedly sending pipe bombs to liberal politicians and media figures last fall:

The new one, Paul Hasson, says he wants focused violence to establish a white homeland, he was studying the methods of the Unabomber, the Virginia Tech killer and other mass killers, he wants to, he says…upset the Democrats might illegally impeach Trump so he would like to kill them first and he wanted to kill almost every last person on Earth.

Maher then proclaimed that “he is known as a moderate among Republicans,” which caused the crowd and the panel to erupt into laughter. Maher tried to draw a direct correlation between President Trump’s reference to the press as “the enemy of the people” and the domestic terror plot, asking: “How many times does this have to happen before we realize that, you know, these guys are the Son of Sam killers and he is the dog that they are listening to?”

 

 

Panelists Bernard-Henri Levy agreed: “Words are like bullets....when you say too much, when you say too much that newspaper, newspaper is the enemy of the people, when you say too much after Charlottesville that there is evil and good on the two sides....when you say that too much, it gives force to those who have the guns.”

Maher then read aloud a quote from Roger Stone as he continued to make the case linking Trump to Hasson. Back in August 2017, Stone said: “You try to impeach Trump, just try, you will have a spasm of violence in this country, a politician that votes for it…would be endangering their own life.”

Former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill criticized the President's response to the domestic terror plot, asking: “Why is it so hard for him to look at that and by the way, it would be so reassuring to Americans, all Americans, I don’t care if they’re Democrats or Republicans if he would just clearly say this is outrageous……I’m proud of law enforcement for finding the guy.”

Deranged Never Trumper Rick Wilson attempted to answer McCaskill’s question: “This is there’s a metric in Donald Trump’s mind all the time and that metric is do they like me or do they not like me?” According to Wilson, “he thinks guys like that like him.”

Maher took it a step further asserting without evidence that President Trump “has a disease……it’s called malignant narcissistic personality disorder.” As this entire show demonstrated, the entire show's guests appear to have a disease of their own; it’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome.

A transcript of the relevant portion of Friday’s edition of Real Time is below. Click “expand” to read more.

HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher

02/22/19

10:39 p.m. Eastern

BILL MAHER: For people who missed this story, Christopher Paul Hasson, I think is his name, he is a Coast Guard, Coast Guard officer.

DONNA BRAZILE: Yes.

MAHER: Okay. He said things, they found an arsenal, first of all. And by the way, remember Cesar Sayoc, that was last fall.

BRAZILE: Of course.

MAHER: This was the guy, this was…did almost the same thing; the guy who is a big Trump supporter. The new one, Paul Hasson, says he wants focused violence to establish a white homeland, he was studying the methods of the Unabomber, the Virginia Tech killer and other mass killers, he wants to, he says…upset the Democrats might illegally impeach Trump so he would like to kill them first and he wanted to kill almost every last person on Earth. He is known as a moderate among Republicans.

(LAUGHTER)

MAHER: So…

BERNARD-HENRI LEVY: Poor Grand Old Party. Poor Grand Old Party.

MAHER: Yeah.

LEVY: Seriously. Poor Republicans.

MAHER: Not so grand. But Trump, this week, again. talking about the press as the enemy of the people. And, you know, how many times does this have to happen before we realize that, you know, these guys are the Son of Sam killers and he is the dog that they are listening to?

DONNA BRAZILE: Absolutely.

MAHER: And they asked him about it today; he said, they said did you think your language affected this? He said I don’t, no I don’t think so I think my language is very nice.

(LAUGHTER)

LEVY: But, but his language is very nice but language can kill.

MAHER: Yes. It’s not very nice.

LEVY: It’s something which we have to be aware of. Words can be like bullets.

MAHER: Yes.

LEVY: Words are like bullets.

MAHER: That’s what I’m saying, is that people hear this stuff…

LEVY: And when you say too much, when you say too much that newspaper, newspaper is the enemy of the people, when you say too much after Charlottesville that there is evil and good on the two sides…

BRAZILE: Yes.

LEVY: …when you say that too much, it gives force to those who have the guns.

MAHER: His…let me read one more quote. Roger Stone…

(APPLAUSE)

MAHER: Roger Stone, who was in court this week, he had said back in August of 2017 you try to impeach Trump, just try, you will have a spasm of violence in this country, a politician that votes for it would be encouraging their own, would be endangering their own life. You know, these…these words have meaning.

CLAIRE MCCASKILL: The thing that’s so weird about this is why is it so it so hard for him? You know, why…I mean here is a guy who is arrested that clearly wanted to kill a lot of people, whether you like the people he was going to kill or don’t like them, you’re President of the United States. Why is it so hard for him to look at that and by the way, it would be so reassuring to Americans, all Americans, I don’t care if they’re Democrats or Republicans if he would just clearly say this is outrageous…

BRAZILE: Right.

MCCASKILL: …I’m proud of law enforcement for finding the guy.

MAHER: That’s not who he is.

RICK WILSON: It’s outside of his abilities…

MCCASKILL: It’s bizarre to me…

WILSON: …because he can’t bring himself to say things like please don’t kill your fellow Americans.

MCCASKILL: Right.

WILSON: I mean, this is, this is pretty 101 for the rest of us.

MCCASKILL: Or white supremacy is bad.

WILSON: The secret of this is there’s a metric in Donald Trump’s mind all the time and that metric is do they like me or do they not like me?

MAHER: Exactly.

WILSON: And he thinks guys like that like him. Okay?

MAHER: Yes.

WILSON: That’s why he doesn’t say anything about…

MCCASKILL: Right.

WILSON: …that’s why he was…

MAHER: He has a disease…

WILSON: Yes.

MAHER: …it’s called malignant narcissistic personality disorder. I’ve said this before.

(APPLAUSE)

MAHER: Every, every article that you read about Donald Trump should begin with President Trump, who suffers from malignant narcissist because this…nothing else explains it.

MCCASKILL: That explains it.

MAHER: It’s why he’s a traitor, it’s why he’s this way just like you said, it’s only if you like me or you don’t.

MCCASKILL: It’s why he’s loving up on Kim Jong-un.

MAHER: Yes. Exactly.

MCCASKILL: … it’s why he loves up on Putin, all of it.