Comedian Bill Maher took a firm line during his show Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, laying out his theory that Donald Trump couldn‘t be hurt by an October surprise. Why? Because the Republican nominee is “so awful” already that nothing could shock voters ahead of next month’s election.
“Democrats need to stop thinking an October surprise is going to save us from a second Trump term,” Maher said.
“We‘ve gotten so used to thinking that there’s always an October surprise coming that when it doesn’t happen it actually seems weird.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The political commentator compared past October surprises with Trump’s ongoing legal woes, and concluded that the ex-President was immune to further derision.
“The Access Hollywood tape in 2016 was a classic October surprise and many people thought it was one that would work, as ‘grabbing p---y’ is generally frowned upon...” Maher said, with the footage from 2005 sparking a major debate about Trump’s treatment of women but not stopping him from winning the election just a month later.
Maher then outlined the revelation about George W. Bush’s 1976 DUI and the major splash it made just days before the 2000 Presidential Election.
“But okay these were much simpler times and quaintly this was seen as a big scandal back then,” he said.
“Whereas today Trump could drunk drive with a blood alcohol content of a million doing 200 on a side street and kill a crosswalk of kindergarteners and two ducks, and it wouldn’t move the needle at all.”
Maher warned Vice President Kamala Harris not to depend on an exposé to derail the Republican efforts at the eleventh hour.
“Trump’s superpower as a candidate is that he has been so constantly and ubiquitously awful for so long that it’s simply no longer seen,” he said.
“He‘s banged a porn star, and attempted a coup, he steals from charities. If you’re waiting for an October surprise to knock him out—dream on. And five trials in one year? Even if you’re a fan, that’s a lot of trials. But you simply cannot surprise the voter who’s seen it all.”
The HBO host suggested that the Democrats shouldn‘t expect Trump’s “flaws” to turn voters away, but should be pushing the specifics of what makes Harris a better alternative.
“I mean, this is Kamala‘s great dilemma. Trump is invulnerable to an October surprise but she is very vulnerable because she‘s the one who is still undefined.”
