As Kanye West makes a fiery return to the public eye, Bill Maher didn’t hold back when addressing the rapper’s latest antisemitic remarks.
During Friday’s episode of Real Time, Bill Maher wasted no time addressing Kanye West in his opening monologue, criticizing the musician for his controversial remarks and his continued association with former President Donald Trump. Maher specifically mentioned reports claiming West had requested a pardon for Sean “Diddy” Combs from Trump.
“Then of course, Kanye joined the fun and tweeted yesterday, ‘I love Hitler and I’m a Nazi,’” Maher remarked. “Either he’s trolling or he’s angling for a cabinet appointment.”
West’s appeal to Trump was made through a social media post where he urged the former president to “FREE MY BROTHER PUFF,” in reference to Combs, who is currently facing serious charges related to sex trafficking and abuse. Despite Combs pleading not guilty, he has been denied bail on three occasions.
Doubling down on his inflammatory rhetoric, the Yeezy mogul declared that he’s “never apologizing for my Jewish comments” and continued with a disturbing string of posts, including, “I’m a Nazi. Hitler was sooooo fresh.”
The American Jewish Committee swiftly condemned West’s remarks, stating that he continues to “purposefully use his platform to spew anti-Jewish hatred.” The organization warned of the dangers of his influence, particularly in online spaces.
“While some may dismiss his hateful rants, we cannot overlook the dangerous influence they can have on his millions of followers, particularly on social media, where a significant portion of today’s antisemitism thrives. Hate, left unchecked, only multiplies. At a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing to terrifying levels worldwide, Ye is actively endangering Jews. We urge others with a platform like Ye’s – particularly in the entertainment industry – to call out this blatant hatred.”
This isn’t the first time West has sparked controversy with antisemitic rhetoric. Following a similar tirade in 2022, concerns about his mental health arose, leading the artist to issue an apology in Hebrew the following year.
“I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community … It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” he stated at the time. “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
Also during last night’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, the host criticized the NFL for streaming football games instead of airing them on broadcast television.
During his “New Rule” segment, which you can watch above, Maher went after streaming platforms for making his viewing experience more complicated ahead of Super Bowl LIX this Sunday.
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