In recent developments, HBO host Bill Maher expressed skepticism about the belief that God intervened in preventing former President Donald Trump from being killed by an assassin’s bullet last week. He criticized those who attributed this event to divine intervention and warned against turning Trump into a “demigod.
During his show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the host mocked the supporters of Trump who believe that God saved the former president from the assassination attempt. He urged them to stop indulging in what he called “magical thinking” and interpreting every event as a direct message from heaven.
In his opening monologue, Maher condemned the attempted assassination, emphasizing that everyone should be as upset about it as they would have been if their preferred candidate had been shot. He also criticized the US Secret Service for seemingly failing to prevent the incident.
As the show progressed, Maher targeted the way some religious Trump supporters have characterized the former president’s attempted murder. In a segment titled “In God We Lust,” the host stated that since the bullet meant for Trump missed him last Saturday, Republicans have been engaging in an orgy of magical thinking, attributing this event to divine intervention.
He shared quotes from various conservatives and pro-Trump influencers who claimed that God protected the former president, including one from Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), himself a victim of an assassination attempt in 2017. Maher sarcastically remarked on how God handled Scalise’s shooting compared to Trump’s: “Steve was also shot, but God was having an off day. And that bullet missed his ear and went into his spleen.
Maher warned against attributing religious significance to Trump, reminding his audience that many cultures have tried elevating their leaders to demigod status throughout history, such as the pharaohs, Julius Caesar, or Hirohito. However, he pointed out that this approach never turns out well for society.
