Far-left HBO host Bill Maher admitted on Friday he’s rooting for an economic disaster, but most media outlets have been silent in response to his shocking comments. In contrast, journalists pounced on Rush Limbaugh’s 2009 comments on Barack Obama’s liberal agenda: “I hope he fails.”
On Friday, Maher said of the move to impeach Trump: “I feel like the bottom has to fall out at some point and by the way, I’m hoping for it because I think one way you get rid of Trump is to crash the economy. So please, bring on the recession. Sorry if that hurts people, but it’s either root for a recession or you lose your democracy.”
Fox News got to the story hours after it happened, highlighting it on Fox and Friends: Saturday.
The three network morning and evening newscasts, so far, have skipped Maher’s call for an economic downturn. (It was mentioned briefly on ABC's The View on Monday). CNN has largely minimized the story. Banished to CNN.com, liberal Dean Obeidallah called Maher’s attack “cruel” and compared it to Limbaugh’s:
Maher's comments remind me of Rush Limbaugh's ghoulish wish in January 2009, when the recession was taking hold and unemployment was climbing, about then President-elect Obama. Limbaugh said he had four words to share his view of what he wished for Obama: "I hope he fails."
CNN and other networks in 2009 reacted very differently to Limbaugh than they did to Maher. CNN’s Bill Schneider said that the talk show host’s comments had “sinister” tones and “crossed a line.” MSNBC’s Chris Matthews wondered: “Does Rush Limbaugh hate this country?” Meanwhile, ABC’s Diane Sawyer pressed John McCain as to whether he was “offended” by Limbaugh.
Media Research Center Research Director Rich Noyes in 2017 put together a montage of the hysterical journalistic response to Limbaugh saying: “I want Barack Obama to fail,’ if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?”
MSNBC, to the network’s credit, has offered some coverage of Maher’s statement. On Monday, Stephanie Ruhle worried that calling for a recession will “help” Trump.
Maher, in contrast to Limbaugh, is actively and openly rooting for a recession. The HBO host is a favorite among liberals. He is a Democratic power player who made a splash with a $1 million donation to Barack Obama in 2012. If journalists are fair, they will push liberals in and out of the media about Maher’s comments.
