HBO’s Bill Maher suggested during his show Friday that President Obama is leading as a “centrist” out of fear of being assassinated like John F. Kennedy.
The “Real Time” host said that leaders such as JFK always “get cut out of the picture, violently or otherwise, and maybe that is why Barack Obama is a little more of the centrist than we want him to be.”
MSNBC host Chris Matthews, appearing as a guest on the show, said he was surprised by the “extraordinary statement.”
“I’m amazed. I’m impressed you think that,” Mr. Matthews said.
Mr. Maher explained that assassination is probably something that President Obama thinks about at night.
“He has to change his policies for that reason?” Mr. Matthews asked.
“I don’t think that is an insult to say to somebody that he may modulate his policies because he is afraid of all the hate that he sees,” Mr. Maher replied.
Fellow guest and Center for Social Inclusion President Maya Wiley added: “I suspect at the end of his second term, I think one of the things we’re going to learn is he has had more assassination threats than almost any president.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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