Bill Maher didn’t hold back when criticizing what he sees as the inconsistent attitudes of liberals who have recently commended the Pope amid his heated exchange with Donald Trump. This came after the president labeled the Catholic leader as “soft on crime.”
During Friday’s episode of his HBO show Real Time, the comedian discussed the intensifying confrontation between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. This conflict continues as Trump expresses discontent over the Pope’s stance on the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
“I adore hypocritical America, truly,” Maher quipped as he finally addressed the media frenzy surrounding the Trump-Pope dispute.
While Maher frequently targets the Republican president, this time he aimed his critique at “hypocritical liberals” for suddenly lauding Pope Leo simply due to their opposition to Trump.
“Look, liberals are suddenly enamored with the Pope,” Maher remarked. “The same Pope who was all over the news just two weeks ago. Why? Because of exorcisms.”
He continued, “Yes, that’s who the Pope really is. Someone who performs exorcisms, opposes gay marriage, and doesn’t allow women priests. But now, since he’s clashing with Trump, he’s suddenly a favorite on MSNBC.”
As the audience broke into laughter, Maher joked about the Pope’s apparent new status: ‘He’s got a big speech on the floor from Chuck Schumer.’
He then made a controversial reference to Democratic California Representative Eric Swalwell.
Bill Maher slammed ‘hypocritical’ liberals for suddenly praising the Pope just because they oppose Trump
Trump has continued to lash out over Leo XIV’s lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran
Maher’s comments come after Trump called Leo ‘weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy’
‘Eric Swalwell sent him a d*** pic,’ Maher said, drawing a mix of gasps and applause from the crowd.
Swalwell, 45, resigned from office and suspended his California gubernatorial campaign this week after five women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct.
A former staffer claimed he raped her twice while she was intoxicated in 2019 and 2024. Another woman, Lonna Drewes, alleged the ousted lawmaker drugged and raped her in 2018.
Meanwhile, Maher’s bit about the feud quickly spread across social media, drawing mixed reactions from thousands.
‘I’m a Roman Catholic, I agree with Bill Maher! The Pope should stay in his lane! He should worry about the Christians that are being killed because they are Christians!’ one comment read.
Another said: ‘Isn’t it funny how convenient it is for people to wear their morals like a trendy jacket? Maybe the real issue is the blind allegiance to what “feels good” rather than sticking to principles.’
‘Why is Bill Maher attacking Pope Leo XIV?’ a third user added. ‘Why is attacking Pope Leo XIV a joke?’
‘I do admire Maher’s ability to call out both sides. Don’t always agree with him, but you always know exactly where he stands,’ another said.
Maher’s comments come after the president called Leo ‘weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy’ before sparking controversy for posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
He had earlier told reporters: ‘I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime.’
In a scathing Truth Social post, Trump also accused the leader of the Catholic Church of being a ‘weak on nuclear weapons’ and claimed: ‘If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.’
‘I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,’ Trump wrote.
‘I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our country,’ he added.
Trump also claimed that Leo ‘criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.’
While the pair have clashed before, the Iran war sparked the most fury from Trump and even prompted an intervention from Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, who said the insults were ‘not acceptable.’
Maher said: ‘The Pope, who two weeks ago was all in the headlines. You know why? Exorcisms. But now, because he’s feuding with Trump, MSNBC loves this guy’
Maher joked about the Pope’s apparent new status with a controversial reference to California Rep. Eric Swalwell: ‘Eric Swalwell sent him a d*** pic’
Trump recently told reporters: ‘I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime’
Leo, 70, has repeatedly condemned the war in Iran, stating that it has caused ‘absurd and inhuman violence.’
‘Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!’ he told worshippers at St Peter’s Basilica last week.
He also criticized the president’s threats against Iran, including a declaration in which Trump warned that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.’
The Pope called the statement ‘truly unacceptable,’ and said that he had ‘no fear’ of Trump.
Earlier this week, Leo said he plans to continue speaking out against war, saying: ‘I don’t want to get into a debate with him.’
Speaking aboard the papal flight to Algiers, where Leo started a ten-day tour to four African countries, he said: ‘I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.’
‘Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.’
The president fired back the next day on Truth Social, writing: ‘Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.’
Leo, 70, has repeatedly condemned the war in Iran, stating that it has caused ‘absurd and inhuman violence’
Trump said the Pope is ‘weak on nuclear weapons’ and claimed ‘if I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican’
Trump also sparked controversy for posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ
It further escalated on Thursday with Leo taking a thinly veiled swipe at Trump, claiming the world is ‘being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.’
He condemned ‘an endless cycle of destabilization and death’ on a visit to Bamenda, a ‘bloodstained’ region of Cameroon which has been gripped by a separatist insurgency for nearly a decade.
‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ Leo said.
‘They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.’
As the row with Trump escalated, Vance warned the Pope to ‘be careful when he talks about matters of theology.’
However, on Saturday, Leo said he regretted that his ‘tyrant’ remarks were interpreted as a response to Trump, insisting he has no interest in debating the president.
He claimed that they had been written well before Trump’s ‘comment on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting.’
‘And yet it was perceived as if I were trying to start a new debate with the president, which doesn’t interest me at all,’ the Pope said.
Earlier this week, Leo said he plans to continue speaking out against war, saying: ‘I don’t want to get into a debate’ with Trump
According to the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, 67 percent of Republicans side with Trump over the Pope in their high-profile spat
As the feud seemingly continues, Trump’s MAGA base is firmly standing by Trump with a clear majority choosing the president over the Holy Father.
According to the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, 81 percent of Trump voters approve of the president, and 67 percent of Republicans side with Trump over the Pope in their high-profile spat.
Just 30 percent of all Americans back Trump in the feud compared to 41 percent for the Pope, but among his core supporters the verdict is unambiguous.
