HBO Real Time host Bill Maher condemned the media for suppressing the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop in the runup to the 2020 presidential election and grew frustrated with actor, filmmaker, and left-wing activist Rob Reiner tried to deflect the conversation to January 6 and defend the media.
Maher introduced the story by asking, “is it okay to have a conspiracy to get rid of Trump. This came up this week because my friend Sam Harris was on a podcast … They were talking about Hunter Biden's laptop which was a story and now all the mainstream press has finally admitted it was a real story, it was a real laptop with, now look, let's not pussyfoot around this, he was selling the influence of his father, Joe Biden.”
After mocking the idea that “some guy from China” would give Hunter Biden “an $80,000 diamond” purely out of the goodness of his heart, Maher asserted:
Even the head of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, said that was a mistake. They buried this story because they remembered what happened with James Comey and the letter 11 days before the 2016 election. Comey said we have to reopen this email investigation with Hillary Clinton and it probably was—I mean, she ran a horrible campaign, didn't go to Wisconsin, we know all that. This is probably the last thing that sunk her.
Quoting Harris, Maher continued: “‘It was appropriate for Twitter and the heads of big tech and the heads of journalistic organizations to feel that they were in the presence of something that is a once-in-a-lifetime moral emergency,’ meaning Trump.”
Maher then returned to is original question if the ends justify the means, “because once you go down this road, this is sort of where we are in this country, the other side is so evil, anything is justified in preventing them from taking office, is it?”
Reiner replied, “No, no, you know it's not justified? Using armed violence to try to kill people in the Capital. That's not justified.”
Frustrated that Reiner didn’t answer the question, Maher shot back, “Answer this question.”
Continuing to play dumb, Reiner asked “what is the question.” Amid more cross talk with Reiner, Maher repeated himself yet again, “[Harris’s] saying that's what they did and that is what they did, they buried the Hunter Biden story before the election because they were like we can't risk having the election thrown to Trump, we'll tell them after the election.”
Reiner refused to believe the press would do such a thing, “and we know for a fact that that’s what they did?” Maher held his ground and questioned if Reiner was even aware of this story.
Continuing to suggest the media did nothing wrong, Reiner declared, “No, but, I’ve been saying that you know for a fact that’s what they did, I don't know what they did.”
Maher then declared that is because Reiner only watches MSNBC, which Reiner said was not true as he still couldn’t bring himself to consider that the press preferred Trump lose.
An incredulous Maher got in the final word between the two, “That's not even an issue anymore, they’re saying 'yes we basically did this because we didn't want this to throw the election.' Yes?”
After an awkward silence, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar chimed into give a typical politician’s non-answer about the value of the First Amendment before also referencing January 6.
Here is a transcript for the August 26 show:
HBO Real Time with Bill Maher
8/26/2022
10:35 PM ET
BILL MAHER: Let me ask you a more nuanced question about, is it okay to have a conspiracy to get rid of Trump. This came up this week because my friend Sam Harris was on a podcast and he said—
ROB REINER: What do you mean a conspiracy to get rid of Trump?
MAHER: I'm going to tell you.
REINER: Okay. Thank you.
MAHER: He was talking about—
AMY KLOBUCHAR: I'm going to defer to my lawyer here.
MAHER: Truer than you know. They were talking about Hunter Biden's laptop which was a story and now all the mainstream press has finally admitted it was a real story, it was a real laptop with, now look, let's not pussyfoot around this, he was selling the influence of his father, Joe Biden.
I mean, most political sons do, but let's not pretend that, at least, wasn't going on. I mean the guy, some guy from China gave him after a dinner, an $80,000 diamond, after dinner as one does.
REINER: Yeah.
MAHER: If you are Naomi Campbell, but it doesn't usually happen. Okay, so, Hunter Biden's laptop was buried by the press, even the head of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, said that was a mistake. They buried this story because they remembered what happened with James Comey and the letter 11 days before the 2016 election. Comey said we have to reopen this email investigation with Hillary Clinton and it probably was the—I mean, she ran a horrible campaign, didn't go to Wisconsin, we know all that. This is probably the last thing that sunk her.
So, Sam Harris says it was appropriate-- "it was appropriate-- for Twitter and the heads of big tech and the heads of journalistic organizations to feel that they were in the presence of something that is a once-in-a-lifetime moral emergency," meaning Trump.
So, he's saying it's okay to have a conspiracy to get rid of somebody as bad as Trump. It's a little bit of a thorny question because once you go down this road, this is sort of where we are in this country, the other side is so evil, anything is justified in preventing them from taking office, is it?
REINER: No, no, you know it's not justified? Using armed violence to try to kill people in the Capital. That's not justified.
MAHER: Answer this question. Is it, was it, answer this question—
REINER: What is the question?
MAHER: --was it appropriate. The question [crosstalk] is was it appropriate bury the Hunter Biden –
REINER: You're talking about the press doing that?
MAHER: He's saying that's what they did and that is what they did, they buried the Hunter Biden story before the election because they were like we can't risk having the election thrown to Trump, we'll tell them after the election.
REINER: And we know for fact that that’s what they did?
MAHER: Of course, you don't follow this?
REINER: No, but, I’ve been saying that you know for a fact that’s what they did, I don't know what they did.
MAHER: I know, because you only watch MSNBC.
REINER: No, that's not true. That’s not true.
MAHER: Well, then you would know about this.
REINER: I do know about that.
MAHER: Well, you’re acting like you don’t.
REINER: I do—I do know about that. I do watch Fox, but the point is we’re going to prove now that the press played, you know, tried to—
MAHER: They’re admitting it!
REINER: The press is admitting it?
MAHER: That’s not—yes, that's not even an issue anymore, they’re saying yes we basically did this because we didn't want this to throw the election. Yes?
KLOBUCHAR: I don't know that they've all said this and I believe strongly in the First Amendment—
MAHER: Well, the New York Times definitely didn’t--
KLOBUCHAR: My dad was a reporter, I believe in it and I think you have to make sure you're treating people fairly, but I think Rob’s point here is we are dealing with a man who used to be the president right now who literally tried to lead an armed insurrection and that's why we are so focused on this right now.
