HBO host Bill Maher on Friday tore into President Trump’s response to a series of mail bombings sent to high-profile Democrats, saying that it sounded to him like the president is “partnering” with the suspect rather than condemning him.
Maher hosted a panel on his show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” following the arrest of Cesar Sayoc Jr., a Florida man charged in connection with more than a dozen pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats, including former President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others.
{mosads}Maher asked whether Trump is “using a domestic terrorist attack to threaten the America media,” pointing to the president’s tweet on Friday morning.
In his tweet, Trump blamed the press for “the anger we see today in our society.”
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” the president tweeted. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”
“That sounds like he’s not condemning the bomber, it sounds to me like he’s partnering with him,” Maher said.
Maher added that he believes Trump’s aggressive rhetoric against the media will never get better because the president is asking the media not to criticize him.
“It all comes from this one trait of narcissism,” Maher said. “This is a disease that we are not going to cure and as long as he has it, it’s not going to get better because the media’s job is to criticize him — especially now more than ever.”
Max Boot, a conservative columnist who appeared on the panel, said Trump has an “amazing sense of victimhood.”
“Somehow, even though he is the president of the United States, he feels he’s being picked upon,” Boot said. “He feels like he’s the real victim here, not the people who are getting bombs in the mail.”
Sayoc was arrested and charged on Friday with sending explosive devices to high-profile Democrats, all of whom have sparred with the president.
Sayoc, who was apprehended in Aventura, Fla., was charged with interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communication and assaulting federal officers. If convicted, Sayoc would face up to 48 years in prison.
Trump, at a rally in North Carolina on Friday, accused the news media of trying to “score political points” after Sayoc was taken into custody.