HBO host Bill Maher defended Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., on Friday from liberals slamming her for meeting with President Donald Trump multiple times in recent weeks.
The comedian also advised Whitmer to “own” the meetings with Trump instead of seeming uneasy about them, telling her to take a page from his meeting with the president in March.
“And I would just like to say – I was trying to help her the other week – just own it, like a certain talk show host did when you meet the president,” he said, pointing to himself.
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Maher brought the topic when speaking to liberal podcaster and journalist Kara Swisher along with former Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy during his “Real Time” panel.
They noted how Whitmer was criticized by members of her party for meeting twice with Trump – someone she clashed with throughout her time as governor. Whitmer visited Trump in the Oval Office on April 9 to speak with him about help for her state, though a photo of her hiding her face from the press during the meeting went viral.
The photo prompted anger from some liberals, who slammed her for meeting with Trump. Conservatives also criticized her for the moment, suggesting she was being insecure about working with the president.
Whitmer also appeared alongside Trump at an event at Michigan U.S. Air Force Base last Tuesday where Trump praised her “excellent job” as governor and called her a “very good person,” a notable departure from his usual criticism of the Democratic lawmaker.
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Again, progressives criticized Whitmer for appearing to work with Trump rather than denounce him.
On “Real Time,” Maher admitted it appeared as though Trump was trying to get her in trouble with the left, but maintained that it is fine for Whitmer to engage in a constructive relationship with Trump.
“This week – Trump f—— punked her twice – called her up, he was in Michigan… Governors need the president’s help on certain things, you know?” he said.
“And he calls her up, which she didn’t expect, and then they got a picture of her hugging him or smiling with him… and now she’s history’s greatest monster,” Maher added, ridiculing the left’s reaction to the meeting.
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He then advised her to embrace the meeting with Trump, just like he did in late March, before going on to defend himself for it from liberal critics.
“When you meet the president, just – it’s okay. He’s the president,” the host said.
“That should not be wrong,” McCarthy agreed. “That should not be wrong at all.”
Elsewhere, he added, “Our country should not have a problem with people of two different parties – the election’s over – sitting down, working on issues, especially a president and governor.”
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