Bill Maher Claims Ted Cruz Is Right About the Left
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Recently, we told you how comedian and political talk show host Bill Maher, who has leaned left on many issues, spoke out against the genocide of Christians in Nigeria and rightly criticized left-leaning mainstream media for not reporting on it.
Now the host of HBO’s Real Time has thrown us for another loop by admitting that Senator Ted Cruz (TX) was right: The far Left’s refusal to condemn antisemitism has allowed it to “consume” the movement.
On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) stated that antisemitism “has run through the whole party. We have tried to not talk about it, we’ve tried to tamp it down, but it is everywhere. It is moving swiftly, okay? And now it’s starting on the right.”
Moskowitz said both parties have an antisemitic wing, and it’s akin to asking Jews, “where would you rather go back to, Germany or Egypt? Like, both places are bad. So, look, as a Democrat who’s been pro-Israel, right? I’ve had Republicans coming up to me for years, saying, how could you stay, how could you stay? And I would say, well, if I leave, I accelerate the problem, but also, this problem is coming your direction. And they would say, no, it’s not, you have no idea what you’re talking about. And I would say no, it’s a virus and it’s spreading.”
Later, host Bill Maher said, “[I]t does seem like the entire Republican establishment lined up against this. I’m not sure you could say that about the Democratic [establishment].
Think about that. Maher – one of the country’s most outspoken classical liberals – publicly agreeing with Sen. Ted Cruz that the Left has ignored antisemitic elements in its movement for too long – and warning conservatives not to make the same mistake. For many in Hollywood, saying “Ted Cruz was right” would cause serious blowback.
Now I’m certainly not saying that Maher is coming over to the Right, but it is refreshing to hear him speaking out on an issue that many in his position are willfully choosing to ignore – even as they watch it happen. However, Maher has Jewish heritage via his mother, and he seems aware that antisemitism doesn’t care whether you practice or not – it only cares if you have Jewish blood.
And Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) – who is a longtime friend and fraternity brother of mine – said something that really struck me: Democrats now have the benefit of “hindsight.” And conservatives have a chance to learn from that example. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, the Right still has time to change course. As Moskowitz put it on Real Time:
They saw what happened to us. And our party has been consumed by it, like, people would say, look, you could be anti-Zionist without being antisemitic. And I would say, theoretically, you could. They’re just not. When you’re holding signs on college campuses saying, go back to Poland. That doesn’t sound like anything to do with Israel. When you see a Jewish student walking on campus, you don’t know that he’s a Netanyahu supporter, but they were surrounding him because he had a Jewish star, right? And so, this has consumed us, and it is dividing us in elections. It has run through the whole party. We have tried to not talk about it, we’ve tried to tamp it down, but it is everywhere. It is moving swiftly, okay? And now it’s starting on the right.
On the far Left, antisemitism has infected elected officials. On the opposite side of the aisle, it’s showing up among younger staffers who clearly don’t understand the importance of our relationship with Israel. That’s still a problem – but it’s one we can and must confront before it reaches the top.
And the reality is free speech allows people to say hateful, ignorant things – but that doesn’t make those things right. It doesn’t make them true. And Christians, especially, should know better. When people start talking about expelling Jews from positions of influence or blaming them for the world’s problems, that’s not “nationalism.” That’s sinful.
And don’t be fooled – there is a deeply Christian dimension here. Israel is more than just a political ally – it actively safeguards Christian holy sites and allows believers to walk where Jesus walked. But even setting faith aside, Israel is a democratic partner in one of the world’s most volatile regions. To turn on that ally – or worse, to blame “the Jews” for global problems isn’t just morally wrong – it’s irrational.
And Jewish people have a long history in America. The oldest synagogue building in America was built in Rhode Island in 1759. The Jewish people have played an important role in our founding and have contributed for generations. Even President George Washington, in his brief but powerful letter to the Jewish people in America, promised that our nation would give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”
That’s not just a nice sentiment; it was a mandate to protect our neighbors. That includes our Jewish neighbors. And if we as conservatives claim to value religious liberty, then we have a moral obligation to call out antisemitism, even when it comes from people who share other policy goals with us. Because if the Church stays silent, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned, eventually there will be no one left to speak out.
Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of Rep. Moskowitz and Bill Maher’s interview. We were also joined by ACLJ Director of Government Affairs Mark Kelly to update everyone on today’s vote in the House.
Watch the full broadcast below: