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Salon
"Terrible place": Bill Maher warns a civil war "could happen here" —
some already "pining" for it
Gabriella Ferrigine
Tue, May 28, 2024 at 9:23 AM PDT·3 min read
327

Bill Maher Noam Galai/Getty Images
Bill Maher Noam Galai/Getty Images
In a recent sit-down with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, comedian Bill Maher
seemed to suggest that the United States could potentially be facing a
second "civil war."

During the Sunday interview, which was meant to promote Maher's
forthcoming book, "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You," Zakaria
asked the "Real Time" host how the GOP, once "the party of Ronald
Reagan," had transmogrified into "American carnage."

"Well I think the basis of it is we started to hate each other," Maher
replied, before leveling criticism at both Democrats and Republicans.
"When you hate people, you don't listen to them. So it doesn't matter
how reasonable they might be. We have reached this place where each side
thinks the other side is an existential threat. You hear that term from
both sides all the time. That is just a terrible place to be."

"We find ourselves in this situation where both sides are literally
siding with enemies of America rather than the opposition party within
the country. You see Republican MAGA people with t-shirts that say, I’d
rather be with Russia than Democrats,” the comedian added.

Maher observed to Zakaria that he titled the final chapter of his book
"Civil War" because he feels the threat of such a conflict it is a very
viable possibility.

“This is a terrible place to be, and it can happen here. The last
chapter in the book is called ‘civil war’ and you hear more about it all
the time, people who are actually pining for it, civil war, 'come
on…let’s do this thing! Let’s get this going. Let’s have this national
divorce' — it can’t work. It won’t work,” Maher said. “Half the country
is not going to self-deport even if you win every election.”

Zakaria also noted how some of Maher's fans have claimed that he has
"matured too much" and become "cranky" and "crotchety" in his beliefs
and opinions, before asking Maher how he would respond to those
naysayers who accuse him of saying "the kids are crazy."

"I mean they're wrong and the kids are crazy," Maher said, subsequently
diving into a discussion about the spate of college protests regarding
Israel's war in Gaza.

"They have this idea, the younger generation — maybe every generation
does — that just because something is new, that it's better. And that's
not true. New is not synonymous with better," Maher said. He then
observed how he has been called a hypocrite because he previously
supported protesting against the Vietnam War.

"Yeah, that was very different," Maher claimed. "First of all, students
weren't against their own. These students were threatening other
students. That didn't happen in the Vietnam War. And being against the
Vietnam War made sense — it was a war that we probably should not have
been in. This is demonstrating and protesting for a terrorist group."

"The left has changed," Maher argued. "Now, the right has changed also,
and even worse. I mean the right doesn't believe in democracy anymore. I
mean, they've thrown their lot in with this sociopath named Donald Trump
who only thinks elections count when we win."

Maher concluded the discussion by offering a few grim sentiments about
Trump, alleging that the the former president is likely to stoke chaos
regardless of whether he wins the 2024 presidential election.

“Donald Trump is not going to concede the election so what happens in
January 2025 on the 20th when inauguration day rolls around and he
didn’t win the election?” Maher said. “He’s not just going to go away.
And if he wins and he’s the president on January 20, 2025, he’s never
going to give that up.”

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