Donald Trump may end up being president “for life” if he beats Hillary Clinton in their race for the White House, Bill Maher said during Friday’s episode of “Real Time” on HBO.
In a plea to young voters broadcast four days before next week’s election, Mr. Maher implored viewers to prevent the Republican presidential nominee from winning on Nov. 8.
“I know you’re young and idealistic, so I’ve heard these young people on the news and they say things like, ’Well, Donald Trump, I don’t like him, but Hillary, I can’t vote for a liar,’” Mr. Maher said.
“I’ve been doing this for 23 years on TV, I’ve seen a lot, I know politics. This is different,” he continued. “I promise you, this will not make your life better. Once fascists get power, they don’t give it up. You’ve got President Trump for life.”
Mr. Maher’s labeling the candidate a fascist came a week after Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters suggested a win for the GOP candidate could result in “total fascism and a complete police state.”
“It was insidious in Germany in the ’30s,” the rock legend said in a recent interview with comedian Marc Maron. “National Trumpism feels a bit less insidious, but it’s just as dangerous.”
Days later the Trump campaign denounced a front-page column printed in a Ku Klux Klan newspaper that touted the Republican candidate’s White House bid, and said the publication’s “repulsive” views “do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign.”
Amid frequent attacks directed toward Mr. Trump during the course of his campaign, last month Mr. Maher used an episode of Real Time to lash out against Ken Bone, the St. Louis coal power-plant worker who became famous for his appearance during the second presidential debate as an undecided voter.
“As this last 15 months rolled along, there was no breaking point for you?” the comedian asked. “Trump saying he would kill the children of terrorists with drone strikes? Physically throwing out 12 million Mexicans? Banning all Muslims? Giving Saudi Arabia nukes? Running a scam ’university?’ Cheating veterans out of charity money? Not paying taxes? Picking Putin as his favorite leader? Not being able to let go of a feud for a whole week with a beauty queen? The impressions of the handicapped? Nothing?!”
“For me, the great sadness of this election is knowing that even if Trump doesn’t become president, we live in a country where half the people think he should be,” he said.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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