Bill Maher blasts Democratic Party, says it is fine with religion 'as long as that faith isn’t Jewish'

Maher Calls Out Democratic Party's Religion Double Standard

Comedian Bill Maher confronted what he sees as a troubling inconsistency in the Democratic Party's approach to candidate religiosity during his Friday appearance on CNN's "Real Time."

The discussion arose when CNN anchor Dana Bash highlighted Texas state Representative James Talarico, who has been actively promoting his evangelical Christian faith while campaigning for governor. Talarico has positioned his religious beliefs as central to his political identity, particularly in defense of his stance against abortion rights.

"He wears his faith on his sleeve in a way he thinks could help him," Bash observed during the segment.

Maher immediately pushed back with a pointed observation: "Well, in the Democratic Party, as long as that faith isn't Jewish, you're good."

When Bash responded with "Well, you said it," Maher doubled down: "Yeah, I said it because it's true!"

The comedian's comments come amid growing concerns within the Jewish community about shifting Democratic loyalties. Recent Pew Research Center data reveals that 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now hold unfavorable views of Israel, representing a significant increase from 53% in 2022. During the same period, only 41% of Republicans view the Jewish state unfavorably, while 58% maintain positive opinions.

The political tension extends beyond polling data to several high-profile Democratic candidates whose positions on Israel have sparked controversy among Jewish voters and leaders. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has faced criticism for describing Israel as "just evil" in reference to Hamas attacks. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has been urged by hundreds of rabbis to issue an apology for referring to AIPAC as a "monster."

Additionally, far-left commentator Hasan Piker has repeatedly made statements favoring Hamas over Israel, drawing further questions about the Democratic Party's relationship with Jewish voters and supporters.

Sam Markstein, national political director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, acknowledged the political coincidences but agreed with Maher's assessment. "It's a rare occasion when we agree with Bill Maher, but he's right: there is only one party where American Jews can be proudly Jewish and loudly pro-Israel, and it's the Republican Party," Markstein told Fox News Digital.

Markstein pointed to specific instances including Vice President Kamala Harris's decision to bypass Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's chosen successor Josh Shapiro as speaker nominee, suggesting this reflects broader Democratic Party dynamics. He also referenced the emergence of elected officials with Communist Party USA affiliations who, according to him, "traffic in antisemitism in halls of power across the country."

"The Democratic Party is being remade by its radicalized base, and party leadership continues to fecklessly whistle past the political graveyard as American Jews flee," Markstein concluded.

The Democratic National Committee was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.