Bill Maher Says We Live In “Two Different Countries” After Supreme Court Abortion Ruling

Last night on HBO‘s Real Time with Bill Maher, one of the most polarizing issues in America was on the table due to the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Maher and his panel guests struggled to make sense of exactly how the ruling will affect life in these United States, just like the rest of America. The panel discussed how abortion would still be accessible despite the ruling as well as how Americans now live in “two different countries.”

During his opening monologue, Maher referenced another recent Supreme Court ruling on carrying guns in New York. “Welcome to right wing America, where if you want to end a young life, you have to shoot them,” he bemoaned.

Maher noted that we are now in a reality where if you ask a drug dealer if they are holding, “It’s about the Morning After pill.” He also mentioned the portion of Justice Clarence Thomas’s opinion that indicated the Roe v. Wade ruling may open the door to reversals on gay marriage and birth control protections. “Everything but interracial marriage,” Maher joked, since Thomas is married to a white woman.

“Be careful where you get stoned and where you get boned,” Maher said, reminding his viewers that abortion will now be like marijuana, where it’s legal in some states but not others.

The HBO host began his panel discussion by insisting the right played the long game. “It was always about the Supreme Court.”

Panel guest Andrew Sullivan, blogger of The Weekly Dish on Substack and author of Out on a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989-2021, disagreed. He feels it was happenstance and that things could have been different if Hillary Clinton had won or Ruth Bader Ginsburg had resigned and allowed a Democrat to appoint a judge. “It was luck, to some extent. This is about Trump adding three people,” he said.

Maher countered, saying “We’re basically living in two different countries. So what do we do? America can’t do that.” Sullivan doubled down, pointing out that Alabama and Oregon always had differences. “It doesn’t have to be one consistent national opinion,” he said.

Second panel guest Katie Herzog, cohost of the podcast Blocked and Reported, blamed the lack of a center in politics. “The pendulum swings further and further to the left and right,” she said. “There’s no center..”

Sullivan added that “The country is not in favor of banning all abortion.” He implored anyone who opposes the Supreme Court’s ruling to go out and persuade people. “Make the argument, build the coalitions, win the elections, and get pro-choice back.”

He added, “Make sure these women will have access. There are things you can do.” He noted, “We need someone who can find the center. Biden isn’t that person.” He added later that current politics “feels like a toxic marriage, where people are now doing things for spite.”

You can check out a clip of the panel discussion above. Real Time will now take a five-week break before returning with a new episode.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor

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