Bill Maher bluntly told Hollywood celebrities to stop injecting politics into awards shows, arguing their activism is backfiring and hurting Democrats.
On Friday'xs, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, during his "New Rule" segment titled "Eyeroll Activism," the 70-year-old host urged stars to "drop the politics for a couple of hours and just enjoy these happy, dopey celebrations of show business" amid awards season.
He cited recent examples, including celebrities wearing pins supporting "Minneapolis ICE victim" Renee Good at the Golden Globes. When asked on the red carpet why he wasn't wearing one, Maher responded that the incident was terrible and "shouldn’t have happened," but added sarcastically that "if they didn’t act like such thugs, it wouldn’t have had to happen", referring to the circumstances of the shooting. He doubled down on air, calling ICE agents "thugs, pigs, stupid" but refusing to wear symbols.
Bill Maher unloads on Hollywood celebrities, warning their political lectures backfire — “You’re making independents vote Republican,” he says, adding that voters see celebs as an arm of the Democratic Party already suspected of lacking common sense.pic.twitter.com/FlR9WxpTyU
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) January 31, 2026
Maher mocked "virtue signaling body ornaments" like pins and ribbons as "crucifixes for liberals," quipping they raise awareness mainly of "how wonderful you are." He noted that ribbons haven't solved issues from guns to AIDS to bullying to breast cancer,"except all of them, you f—ing posers."
Referencing Ricky Gervais' 2020 Golden Globes plea against political speeches, Maher agreed celebrities have the right to speak but insisted, "I’m just saying, don’t."
He argued it's counterproductive: major stars like Oprah, George Clooney, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris, yet she lost every swing state, with surveys showing Swift's support even reduced voter enthusiasm.
Maher concluded: "Read the room, Democrats. Celebrities aren’t helping." He suggested their efforts are actually driving independents toward Republicans.