Share and Follow
On Friday night’s Real Time with Bill Maher, a compelling moment unfolded when Bill Maher swiftly responded to an audience member who cheered the arrest of journalist Don Lemon. Maher was quick to quash the reaction, underlining the seriousness of the situation.
The episode included a range of guests, featuring an engaging interview with comedian Nate Bargatze, known for his work on The Greatest Average American and the upcoming film The Breadwinner. Joining the discussion on the panel were Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman.
In the course of the panel discussion, Maher took the opportunity to highlight what he views as “fascist” tendencies within the Trump administration. He referenced a notable viral video involving an ICE officer and a protester in Maine.
Maher recounted the scene, explaining, “There’s a video from Maine showing an ICE officer taking a picture of a protester’s license plate. When asked why, he responds with, ‘because we have a nice little database, and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.’”
He used this example to illustrate what he sees as a disturbing trend towards authoritarianism. “This is a hallmark of fascist regimes. Protesters are turned into enemies of the state, subject to arrest. It’s the same kind of oppression we see happening in Iran right now,” Maher argued.
As Maher continued, he brought up Lemon directly, stating, “They arrested Don Lemon–.”
Before he could finish the thought, a single audience member loudly interjected with, “Yes!”
Maher immediately reacted, calling out the cheer in real time. “Somebody went, ‘Yes,’ like good, I don’t know. I don’t know. (AUDIENCE GROANS) It’s not good to arrest him! I don’t, you know,” he said, clearly caught off guard by the response.
Greene then weighed in, arguing that Lemon’s arrest was justified under federal law. She claimed, “Well, I’m going to say he violated the FACE Act. He went into a church, disrupted their worship, and then later in an interview compared them to white supremacists. That’s not journalism. That’s activism. I had an experience with Don Lemon.”
Maher pushed back, asking whether that behavior truly warranted arrest. “What, does it warrant getting arrested?” he asked.
Greene doubled down, citing previous prosecutions. “Disrupting a worship service, stopping people’s right to worship God, that is violation of the FACES Act. And under the Biden administration, pro-lifers were sent to prison up to 11 years for praying in front of an abortion clinic and they were convicted under the FACE Act,” she said.
She also claimed Lemon had caused issues during a visit to her congressional office. “So I don’t think that’s journalism, that’s not First Amendment going in and harassing people in the middle of church. And you know, Don Lemon came to my office with the Tesla takedown guy that organized it and we had to call Capitol Police.”
Maher ultimately tried to defuse the tension with a quip, suggesting, “Okay, but can we just charge him with not cool, man?”
You can watch the clip here and catch new episodes of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET.