Bill Maher warned Friday that the Democratic Party is being «colonized» by socialist ideology and said his vote remains up for grabs in the next election cycle, as he renewed his criticism of the Democratic Socialists of America and its growing influence within the party.
During Friday's episode of HBO's «Real Time,» the comedian and political commentator said the DSA agenda has taken root in the mainstream Democratic Party and pressed viewers to pay attention. «People gotta realize this is going on,» Maher said. «Yes, my vote is in play. I'm not voting for anyone who thinks the wrong side won the Cold War or cheers for the intifada like it's the World Cup.»
Maher mocked what he described as the irony of a party that has campaigned heavily against colonization while being overtaken by radical views. «It's so ironic from the people who obsess about colonization,» he said. «You know what's being colonized now? The Democratic Party.»
The host then pointed to a pledge launched last month by Representative Tom Suozzi of New York and Representative Adam Gray of California, two Democrats seeking to moderate the party as DSA-aligned views gain ground internally. According to Maher, the pledge said: «We are capitalists, not socialists. We want safety, not lawlessness. We are proud, not ashamed of America.»
«These should not be hard words for a congressional Democrat to sign onto,» Maher said. He said only eight of the 212 Democratic members of Congress signed the pledge.
While acknowledging that most mainstream Democratic politicians do not hold far-left positions, Maher said the radical wing has become a disruptive force within the party. «And, no, this nonsense is not where most Democratic politicians are right now,» he said. «But it's also becoming a raging fire festival in the party that neither is anyone putting out.»
He added: «People are actually getting elected now who literally don't think we should have police or prisons or borders.»
Maher's latest remarks follow an interview last month with ABC News «This Week» co-anchor Jonathan Karl, in which he first said his vote was «in play» because of his frustration with the Democratic Party's direction. «My vote is in play because it can't be Trump running, so I'm not living in communist America,» Maher said at the time. «I mean, I know the talking point is that it's not communism, it's socialism. OK, I've read the quotes from the DSA platform from their own mouths. Don't tell me I'm not seeing what I am seeing.»
His warnings have drawn support from figures outside the entertainment world. Dave Aronberg, a former state attorney, said the DSA platform could derail Democratic momentum heading into the next elections. «History and current polling trends point to a blue wave in November, and the DSA is the only thing that can stop it,» Aronberg said. «Outside of concentrated blue enclaves in places like New York and Denver, general elections aren't won on the far-left fringes. If the Democratic Party lets the DSA drive the bus, they're driving straight off an electoral cliff.»
Aronberg added: «Bill Maher is voicing what millions of voters are thinking: The Democratic Party must not surrender to extremists who despise classic American principles.»
Christian Toto, a film critic and host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast, also weighed in, describing Maher as one of the few liberal comedians willing to break with party orthodoxy. «Bill Maher is many things, and that includes being intellectually honest,» Toto said. «His liberal comedy peers aren't. They do the bidding of the modern Democratic party, period.» Toto argued that Maher's willingness to defy his own party has cost him recognition in the entertainment industry, though he was honored with the Mark Twain Prize at the White House several weeks ago.
Maher concluded Friday's show by suggesting he would prefer a long-shot Republican over a DSA-backed Democrat. «Get your head out of your a—, I would vote for Sarah Palin before this s—,» he said, referencing the former Alaska governor. «She's a bimbo, but if you asked her to come up with something she likes about America, she could do it. You betcha.»
The Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Socialists of America were contacted for comment.
