Democratic political strategist James Carville took a swing at Bill Maher on Saturday, blasting the comedian for falling for President Trump’s “personal charm” during a recent White House visit.
Carville, in the latest episode of his “Politics War Room” podcast, railed against the television host, calling him a “supremely naive man.”
“I think Bill Maher was had. He went there and he talked about how charming and measured Trump was,” he said. “This was the same guy that day was reveling in a guy who was illegally deported to El Savador and refused to bring him back, who loves to hurt people, loves to inflict pain.”
“But, you know, Bill is just the latest in a whole series of people who get had by the personal charm, if you will, of some really bad people,” he added, making a pointed reference to former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
While the strategist acknowledged that he didn’t think the comedian had ill intentions by meeting with the president, Carville reiterated, “Bill Maher, you were had.”
Maher, who has been a vocal critic of the president, made a trip to the White House in late March alongside musician Kid Rock to meet with Trump face-to-face. The dinner was arranged by the “All Summer Long” singer, who said he wanted to see “more civility” in the country between political adversaries.
The rock star, in an interview with Fox News following the interaction, said it “could not have been better.”
Maher just last week praised Trump for his hospitality, calling him “gracious and measured.” He joked about bringing a list of insults the president has called him and asking for his signature and promised viewers that he did not turn “MAGA.”
“To the president’s credit, there was no pressure to,” he added.
The comedian also commended Trump for his humor.
“Just for starters, he laughs. I’ve never seen him laugh in public, but he does, including to himself, and it’s not fake, believe me,” Maher said at the time. “As a comedian of 40 years, I know a fake laugh when I hear it.”
Carville on Saturday denounced the meeting once again, turning his ire on the president, who he said “sh–-s on the Constitution.”
“I would defend Bill Maher to this extent, I think he’s a supremely naive man,” the strategist said in a clip highlighted by Mediaite, referencing the comedian’s perceived reverence of the president, despite the many legal battles Trump has faced since leaving the White House after his first term.
He added later, “I think the problem people have with Bill, I have the same one, is you’re kind of leading legitimacy and credence to this.”
Trump was seemingly skeptical about meeting with the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host at first. He previously claimed the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host “has been unjustifiably critical of anything, or anyone, TRUMP.”
But he later relented in a post on Truth Social, “Who knows, though, maybe I’ll be proven wrong?”
The tension between the two TV stars began before the president ran and won his first presidential campaign. Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan. The lawsuit was later dismissed.
