President Trump’s contentious phone call with a gold star widow this week has made him more of “gross creep” than disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, talk show host Bill Maher said Friday.
The host of “Real Time with Bill Maher” was discussing Mr. Trump’s recent phone call with the widow of slain Army Sgt. La David Johnson during Friday’s broadcast of his weekly HBO program when he ranked the president’s conduct as worse than that of Mr. Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood producer accused this month of sexually assaulting and harassing dozens of women during the last several decades.
“I am hesitant to say ’the president has hit a new low,’ because you’ll think it’s a repeat,” Mr. Maher joked during the start of his opening monologue. “It’s not.”
“Trump called the pregnant widow of a dead American soldier to console her and wound up pouring salt in the wound and feuding with her all week,” Mr. Maher continued. “I mean, if you could take a week where it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted every single female in show business and still be the worst fat, gross creep, that’s pretty good.”
The comparison was one of several cracks fired off by Mr. Maher in response to the president’s phone call Tuesday with the soldier’s wife, Myeshia Johnson, during which he said her husband “knew what he signed up for,” according to Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman who overheard the conversation.
“I didn’t say what that congresswoman said; didn’t say it all. She knows it,” Mr. Trump responded Wednesday. “I had a very nice conversation with the woman, with the wife who was — sounded like a lovely woman. Did not say what the congresswoman said, and most people aren’t too surprised to hear that.”
“What kind of cretin in the whole history of the world has ever had to deny something he said in a condolence call?” Mr. Maher reacted during Friday’s broadcast.
Mr. Trump likely had a bad week because he “dropped 92 spots on the Forbes list of richest Americans,” Mr. Maher said later during the episode, referencing a report this week estimating the president’s net worth at $3.1 billion, about $600 million less than last year.
“He was also dropped to #2 on Forbes’ list of disgusting sex predators,” Mr. Maher added, taking at at both the president and disgraced film producer.
The New York Times first reported on Oct. 5 that Mr. Weinstein, the co-founder of The Weinstein Company and Miramax production studios, settled with at least eight women during the last several decades to resolve allegations of sexual harassment, assault and other misconduct. More than 40 women have since lobbed accusations at Mr. Weinstein, CNN reported this week, and he’s currently under investigation by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Johnson, 25, was among the four U.S. service members killed during an Oct. 4 ambush near the border of Niger and Mali. The incident is currently under investigation.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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