Bill Maher declared the death of democracy during the liberal comic’s HBO show Friday in light of the Senate voting against hearing from any further witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial.
The host of “Real Time with Bill Maher” reacted with grim pessimism shortly after senators narrowly voted down an effort by Democrats to consider additional testimony before deciding Mr. Trump’s fate.
“The good news is the impeachment trial is almost over. The bad news is so is rule of law in America,” Mr. Maher said during his opening monologue.
“So it’s a done deal,” Mr. Maher continued. “This is going to happen. Trump will be acquitted on Wednesday. Republicans have nothing left to do but dot the Is and cross the Ts and [expletive] the yous.”
Mr. Maher, a regularly vocal critic of Mr. Trump, made the remarks within hours of the Senate voting 51-49 against hearing from more witnesses before wrapping up the president’s trial, which began weeks earlier after House Democrats impeached him for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, has since scheduled a Wednesday vote to decide whether to convict Mr. Trump, who is expected to be acquitted by the chamber’s GOP majority.
“I’m going to try not to cry during the show because we lost democracy this week,” Mr. Maher said later. “I feel like I’m standing over a casket and thinking: ’Hmm, I should have been nicer when it was alive.”
“I feel like whatever we’re going to talk about tonight in a way is almost moot,” he added. “I feel like we’re actually talking about a world that doesn’t exist anymore. We’re in a post-democracy world.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.