Bill Maher pushed back on a claim from Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov during a panel discussion on his HBO show “Real Time” Friday, after Tarlov argued that Democrats are “less crazy” than Republicans.
Tarlov, who appears on Fox’s “The Five,” made the case during a segment that also included conservative commentator Christopher Rufo. Maher’s reaction, captured on video and widely shared online, showed him laughing and asking Tarlov whether she was joking.
“Have you seen the Democratic…,” Maher said, unable to finish the sentence as he laughed. He asked her directly if she was being sarcastic, or if she genuinely believed Democrats were the less extreme party.
“Maybe not inside,” Tarlov responded, but she argued that when Democrats “go out and give a speech, talking about the economy and corruption,” they present a more moderate face than Republicans.
Rufo interjected, telling Tarlov, “They’re wearing Carhartts and pretending to be less crazy. That’s what’s happening,” a line that drew laughter from the studio audience.
Maher then challenged Tarlov’s framing more directly. “They’re communists who think the Islamists are the good guys. Are you kidding? Less crazy?” he said, pointing to the Democratic Socialists of America as evidence of the party’s leftward drift.
Tarlov responded that she has to “see them every day” because she “works at Fox News,” a reference to the network’s regular coverage of the DSA and its influence within Democratic politics.
Maher went on to argue that DSA-aligned figures are becoming more emboldened rather than less, though he said he does not believe the upcoming midterm elections will turn primarily on that dynamic. He suggested economic conditions and the war would be more decisive factors for voters.
The exchange, first reported by RedState’s sister site Twitchy, has circulated widely on social media as an example of friction between Fox News commentators and Maher’s more skeptical take on Democratic messaging heading into the midterms.
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