What To Know
- Bill Maher and Bill O’Reilly engaged in a heated exchange on Real Time With Bill Maher.
- Maher took jabs at O’Reilly’s career status, highlighting that his own show is still on the air while O’Reilly’s ended.
- O’Reilly countered by touting his recent NewsNation town hall’s large viewership.
Bill Maher sent several blunt messages to Bill O’Reilly‘s face in a late-night popularity sparring match.
On the Friday, November 7 episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, the host and comedian, 69, sat down with panelists, the former The O’Reilly Factor Fox News host, 76, and Rep. Jared Moskowitz, 44, a Democrat from Florida and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early on in the chat, O’Reilly shared that he recently spent $36 on a hamburger while discussing the rising cost of food. To that, Maher pointed out, “I mean, he’s got 20 best-sellers and what a cheap f—. I would just eat the hamburger, but, you know.”
Reilly replied, “Listen up, it’s not about the money. It’s the principle of the food.”
Later, O’Reilly attempted to recap Maher’s viewers on the state of the Democratic Party today, describing it as “disenchanted,” focusing on “fridge garbage,” and “diluting” its own message. “I wouldn’t put it that way,” Maher said, “But go ahead.”
“But you might want to rethink because that’s a good way to put it,” O’Reilly responded, to which Maher quipped, “Well, I’m still on the air and you’re not, but go ahead.”
After the audience settled down, O’Reilly admitted, “I expected that.” He then pointed out, “So we did a town hall on NewsNation two weeks ago that from the Kennedy Center, 23 million people watched. Twenty-three million, OK? You can add up all the HBOs you want, you’re not gonna come close. Just want to correct the record.”
Moskowitz then joked, “I have a tape measure, if anyone wants it.”
“I’m going to check those facts,” Maher declared before they moved on with the conversation.
The O’Reilly Factor ended in 2017 following a bombshell report from The New York Times revealing five sexual misconduct lawsuits O’Reilly had settled. Of the 21 years he was with Fox News, his was the highest-rated cable news show for 16 years.
Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays, 10/9c, HBO