In a surprise move, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) appeared on HBO's "Real Time" with Bill Maher.
Now, some might think that's unusual because Maher is fond of joking about Cruz.
But when he came on the show, it seemed like they had more that they agreed about than what they disagreed on. They spoke about how much they were agreeing on things, in particular on free speech, and how the left was out of their minds on the issue.
"This is a terrible place for America to be, where half the people hate it that we're just talking."
— Real Time with Bill Maher (@RealTimers) November 11, 2023
Watch more of @BillMaher's conversation with U.S. Senator and #Unwoke author @TedCruz, now available to @StreamOnMax. pic.twitter.com/XdusB8JEp4
Cruz, who is promoting his new book Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America, started the appearance by heaping praise on Maher, calling him an “old-school liberal” and “funny as hell.”
“I feel so bad about all the jokes I have done about you,” Maher replied.
The comedian acknowledged that he is constantly being accused of becoming more conservative because he won’t “bend the knee” to the left and get on the “crazy train.”
Cruz also noted Maher's show was unique as one of the only shows where people from both sides of the aisle talked about issues together.
Maher pointed out Democrats were celebrating that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) wasn't going to run again for his Senate seat, but didn't seem to understand that pretty much guarantees that the seat will flip Republican (likely to Jim Justice). He had a great joke about that.
John Fetterman will win "Dancing with the Stars" before another Democratic senator is elected in West Virginia.
— Real Time with Bill Maher (@RealTimers) November 11, 2023
Watch @BillMaher, @TedCruz, Pamela Paul & @jordanbpeterson discuss the impact of Joe Manchin's decision on #RTOvertime: pic.twitter.com/HV3iYHOtsv
"Good luck trying to elect another Democrat in West Virginia!" Maher snarked. "John Fetterman will win 'Dancing with the Stars' before another Democratic senator is elected in West Virginia," he joked. They then spoke about the problematic need for an alternative to Joe Biden. "His not running means Republicans will win that seat," Cruz agreed.
They spoke about illegal immigration and how before Joe Biden came in, we had the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. Then Joe Biden came in and as Cruz said, "immediately reimposed catch and release."
Ted Cruz explains the Republican plan to deal with illegal immigration to Bill Maher:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) November 11, 2023
"Secure the border. When you apprehend someone, send them home. When Joe Biden started: We had the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. He immediately reimposed catch and release. It… pic.twitter.com/ft5idXq0cJ
"It produced the worst rate of illegal immigration in our nation's history," Cruz explained. He said that produced 8.4 million illegal aliens since Biden came into office.
The Republican plan is simple, Cruz said. Bring back "Remain in Mexico." Secure the border and when people enter illegally send them home. He offered to take Maher on a ride-along with the Border Patrol, so he could see how bad the situation is.
Cruz also ripped into Biden on making deals with Iran.
"When the Ayatollah [of Iran] chants Death to America and Death to Israel. I believe him. He wants to murder as many Jews and as many Americans as possible. Obama gave him 100 billion dollars, Biden gave him 100 billion. That was catastrophically foolish"
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) November 11, 2023
Ted Cruz on Bill Maher pic.twitter.com/chdKnfJmp5
"When the Ayatollah chants Death to America and Death to Israel, I believe him," Cruz said.
He wants to murder as many Jews and as many Americans as possible. Obama gave him 100 billion dollars, Biden gave him 100 billion. And that was catastrophically foolish.
We've reported before about how Cruz has blistered Biden on this issue.
Cruz said that Biden had direct responsibility for the attack on Israel because he gave Iran 100 billion dollars. Maher seemed to nod his head in agreement.
"Biden had direct responsibility for this attack. Joe Biden is responsible for 100 billion dollars going to the Ayatollah. He made a decision to do that. Iran funds Hamas. WSJ reported in Sep they brought Hamas terrorists to Iran and trained them to carry out the attack. Don't… pic.twitter.com/0OeVDUBVld
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) November 11, 2023
He made a decision to do that. Iran funds Hamas. WSJ reported in September [that] they brought Hamas terrorists to Iran and trained them to carry out the attack. Don't give money to terrorists who want to kill us. Unfortunately, the Democrat party is on the other side of that.
The audience clapped loudly for that one.
One area in which Maher and Cruz disagreed was over the 2020 election. This is one of Maher's few remaining sticking points. He tried to paint Republicans and Cruz as "election deniers'" without getting the basic flaw in that whole argument. Cruz explained the flaw in his logic, as well as capturing him in a moment of election denial himself.
In an attempt to call Ted Cruz an election denier, Bill Maher ends up denying the 2000 election
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) November 11, 2023
"I've never seen you ask Democrats why they objected to the presidential certification in 2001, 2005, and 2016" pic.twitter.com/r1y2oPb2U4
Maher found it strange that Cruz wrote in his book that the "Democrats were no longer willing to play by the rules of democracy." Everything that he accuses Republicans of are things the Democrats did in prior elections, including objecting to certifications.
When the GOP does it once, it's an attack on Democracy; when the Democrats do it for every election they've lost over the last twenty years, it's preserving Democracy.
But apart from that, it was an intriguing coming together on a lot of issues. It enabled Maher's audience to see that Cruz and Republicans aren't ogres and might have good ideas.
And it may have been a few more steps down the revelation path for Maher.
“Let’s say this is the beginning of a friendship,” Maher said.
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