In a scathing opening monologue, comedian Bill Maher has launched a fierce critique of former President Donald Trump, accusing him of orchestrating a series of distractions to divert public attention from the escalating demand to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files.
Maher's Monologue: A Litany of Distractions
The 69-year-old host dedicated the majority of his recent show to the infamous files, expressing his frustration with the slow, piecemeal disclosures. 'I feel like I've seen this movie four times,' Maher remarked, criticising the series of small releases from the investigation into the convicted sex offender.
Maher pointedly joked about the former president's frequent mentions within the documents, noting, 'Trump doesn't talk about Trump that much.' He aligned himself with Democratic assertions, stating his belief that Trump is 'working very hard' to prevent the files from seeing the light of day.
The comedian outlined several events he labelled as potential smokescreens, including:
- The 43-day government shutdown, the longest in US history, which Maher flippantly suggested only resulted in cancelled flights and hunger.
- The transfer of Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, to a 'cushier prison' with reports of 'unlimited toilet paper'. Maher expressed outrage, questioning why she was receiving such treatment given her role in a paedophile ring.
- A series of US military drone strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs, which he sarcastically linked to an easy way to 'win a Nobel Peace Prize.'
Political Fallout and Republican Pressure
The call for transparency has garnered significant bipartisan support, intensifying after Trump initially promised a full release only to seemingly backtrack. This reversal has fuelled rampant public speculation about his motives.
The political pressure continues to mount. According to Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, from whom Trump has recently withdrawn his support, the former president is actively lobbying Republicans to vote against releasing the Epstein files in an upcoming vote next week.
'He’s coming after me hard to make an example to scare all the other Republicans,' Greene wrote on social media platform X. 'It’s astonishing really how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out.'
This was followed by a public feud, with Trump taking to his Truth Social platform to insult Greene, mistakenly calling her 'Marjorie Taylor Brown' and labelling her a 'traitor' for what he perceived as turning 'Left.'
Maher concluded his critique with a stark comparison, referencing Hillary Clinton's email server. 'This is why Hillary [Clinton] destroyed her server with a hammer,' he said. 'Sometimes you’ve just got to go to the hammer, people. The hammer!'
