Television host Bill Maher on Friday said that Americans had more than enough time to get to know vice president Kamala Harris, and they “didn’t like” her, disagreeing with journalists who excused Harris’ loss to President-elect Donald Trump.
During Friday’s “Overtime” segment, ABC News contributor Sarah Isgur said that Democrats put Harris in a difficult position by asking her to run a “three-month campaign.” Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time, questioned this, saying, “You’re saying three months wasn’t long enough?” He continued, “It was long enough. It’s not that they didn’t have time to introduce her—they met someone, and they didn’t like ’em,” as quoted in a Fox News report.
MSNBC analyst John Heilemann argued that the vice president’s role is limiting, especially under an unpopular president. “Bill, I don’t know if you know this, but the vice president of the United States is basically shoved in a broom closet for three-and-a-half years,” he said.
Maher countered, “This idea that in a mass media age, 107 days is not long enough to know somebody?”
He then addressed his audience, asking if they felt they knew enough about Harris after just a week to make a decision. Meher said, “It’s ridiculous! We just get sicker of them! Why do you have to make all these excuses for her?”
During the show, Maher added, “I think America is perfectly willing to elect a woman. They just didn’t like the last two that were put up.” He suggested that voters simply didn’t find Harris compelling as a candidate, arguing against attributing her loss to sexism, racism, or campaign mismanagement.
Panelist Sarah Isgur offered a different perspective, suggesting that Harris faced challenges as the Democratic nominee because of President Biden’s late decision not to seek re-election.
