Bill Maher zinged President Trump late Friday by likening his ambulatory skills to those of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his only predecessor in office to have been diagnosed with polio and left paralyzed.
The liberal comedian and host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” savaged the president during the show’s latest episode after Mr. Trump invoked Roosevelt the night before.
Speaking at a reelection campaign rally in Michigan late Thursday, Mr. Trump told supporters the U.S. will prevail over the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and then quoted the 32nd president.
“As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ’the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’,” Mr. Trump said in Freeland, Michigan.
“He compared his handling of the virus to FDR,” reacted Mr. Maher. “The only thing he has in common with FDR is he has difficulty walking.”
Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio early in his political career before he was elected to an unprecedented four terms as president. He had fallen ill and was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Mr. Maher has ribbed Mr. Trump regularly on his program for years. On his part, the president has previously responded in kind and mounted personal attacks of his own against the TV host.
Unleashing from his Twitter account last month, Mr. Trump said he watched Mr. Maher’s show recently and thought he’s “totally SHOT, looks terrible, exhausted, gaunt and weak.”
Mr. Trump had no immediate public reaction to Mr. Maher’s latest takedown.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.