Bill Maher is once again taking up the mantle of being Hollywood’s anti-woke crusader—this time unloading on celebrity activism, which he says is handing elections to Republicans.
On Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the 70-year-old host took aim at what he calls “poser” politics, ripping celebrities who use awards shows, red carpets, and social media to signal political values.
According to Maher, the spectacle doesn’t inspire voters—it repels them. “Read the room, Democrats,” he warned, arguing that celebrity political posturing mostly activates eye rolls, not turnout. “You’re making independents vote Republican,” Maher said.
Bill Maher on his show
Maher’s rant came as he addressed lingering backlash from his Golden Globes red carpet appearance earlier this month, when he brushed off a reporter’s question about why he wasn’t wearing a lapel pin honoring Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three killed by an ICE agent.
Several stars wore pins reading “Be Good” and “ICE Out” to protest Good’s killing and the subsequent surge of federal agents into the Twin Cities.
Maher admitted he was caught off guard by the question—but made clear he had zero regrets. He told the audience, if he had more time to think about the question, “my answer would be exactly the same.” The studio erupted in applause as Maher mocked the controversy with a blunt summary: “ICE, thugs, pins—stupid.”
Jean Smart poses while wearing a
Maher briefly acknowledged that Good’s death “shouldn’t have happened.”
He quickly pivoted to shifting blame, claiming that if people “didn’t act like such thugs, it wouldn’t have had to happen.” From there, he returned to his real target: celebrities who turned the tragedy into what he sees as performative resistance. “I don’t need to wear a pin about it,” he said flatly.
A demonstrator holds a sign with a photo of Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman fatally shot by an ICE officer, as he takes part in the nationwide
Maher seemed genuinely baffled that the moment sparked outrage at all. Recounting how his phone lit up afterward, he joked that when he finally checked why people were telling him to “stay strong,” his reaction was: “Holy f—, is this what you people are so worked up about?”
The flare-up is hardly an outlier for Maher, who has previosly crticized the “woke left”—especially its wealthiest spokespeople. He has repeatedly framed celebrity activism as a net negative for Democrats, insisting that Hollywood’s loudest voices do more harm than good.
Mark Ruffalo attends the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. / Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Maher mocked stars who wore Ukrainian flags last year, dismissing them as “virtue-signaling body ornaments.” “They’re just crucifixes for liberals,” he said.
He also took direct aim at celebrities who backed Kamala Harris during her failed 2024 presidential run, name-checking figures like George Clooney, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. Their involvement, Maher argued, didn’t elevate Harris—it reinforced the perception that Democrats are out of touch with ordinary voters. Celebrity endorsements, he said, are not political assets but liabilities.
2024 Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris embraces singer Beyoncé at a campaign rally in Houston, Texas. / Jordan Vonderhaar / Getty Images
While he now insists celebrities should stick to distracting us from world issues, he has previously praised famous figures as a “force for good” capable of advancing social change.
Maher leaned fully into the latter framing on Friday, arguing that wealth and privilege fundamentally disqualify stars from speaking credibly about most political issues.
“Celebrities don’t strike people as relatable,” he said. “What their activism mostly activates is eye rolls—because stars, they’re not just like us. They’re just not.”
To drive the point home, Maher rattled off examples of what he sees as Hollywood excess: Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina-scented candles, Johnny Depp buying entire towns, Tyler Perry and Shakira purchasing private islands, and Holly Madison insuring her breasts for $1 million.
These are not voices of the working class, Maher said, but rather “insulated divas” gorging themselves on luxury while lecturing voters about morality.
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