At what point do you start wondering whether your political party has left you behind? Maybe it is when Bill Maher is treated as unacceptable, while slogans like “globalize the intifada” are brushed aside or defended.
Maher seems to be reaching that point.
During an appearance Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week,” he criticized Democrats for refusing to appear on his HBO program. According to Maher, Republicans may not enjoy what he says about them, especially when he targets President Donald Trump, but at least they are willing to come on the show and face difficult questions.
The interview came shortly after Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center, one of the country’s most prestigious awards for comedy.
I have never been Maher’s biggest fan. His style often relies on what critics call “claughter,” where an audience responds to a political statement with a mixture of applause and laughter. At times, it can feel less like comedy and more like people signaling that they agree with the host.
Still, Maher deserves some credit for occasionally criticizing the audience that normally supports him. He is willing to make points that many liberal viewers may not want to hear, even when he knows those comments could cost him fans.
He also noted that Republicans continue to appear on his program despite knowing that they may be challenged or mocked.
Maher pointed to Vice President J.D. Vance as an example. Vance agreed to appear on the show without any promise that the conversation would be friendly.
“The first thing I said to him is, it’s so odd, isn’t it, that I didn’t vote for you, and yet you guys come to the show and take your beating like a man,” Maher said.
“The Democrats don’t come, and yet they got my vote. It’s just odd, isn’t it?”
When ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked why that was happening, Maher gave a direct answer.
Liberal comedian Bill Maher says he’s “out” on the Democrat party:
“Democrats are cowardly… their party is being taken over now. Every day I hear about a new radical…when we’re cheering for the intifada, I’m out.” pic.twitter.com/pXyOI22HJk
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 19, 2026
“Democrats are cowardly,” he said.
Maher then argued that the Democratic Party is increasingly being influenced by activists and candidates with views that many voters would consider extreme. He said he began losing fans years ago because he refused to ignore what he saw happening on the political left.
“I didn’t change really on what I thought about the right,” Maher explained. “But just, I can’t sit and just not notice stuff, which people seem to want to do because it’s all about my team or your team.”
That is an important point. Political loyalty often encourages people to excuse behavior they would immediately condemn if it came from the other side. Maher may still oppose Republicans on many issues, but he is not willing to pretend that every idea coming from the left is reasonable simply because it comes from his preferred political camp.
His clearest line came when he addressed pro-intifada rhetoric.
“You know, when we’re cheering for the Intifada, God, I’m out,” Maher said.
That should not be a controversial statement. Yet several prominent political figures, including candidates in New York City, have resisted clearly condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Some have tried to present it as harmless political speech, despite its association with violent uprisings and attacks against Israeli civilians.
This should not require a complicated debate. It should have been obvious before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and it should be even more obvious after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
Maher is not a conservative, and no serious person would mistake him for one. He continues to criticize Trump and the Republican Party regularly. But he is also becoming increasingly alienated from parts of the modern left.
When Bill Maher becomes the person reminding Democrats that cheering for an intifada is wrong, it says something troubling about the party’s direction. He may not be moving to the right. The left may simply be moving away from him.
