On the “Overtime” segment of Friday’s “Real Time” broadcast, host Bill Maher addressed the recent allegations of physical violence against Doug Emhoff, the husband of 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Maher stated that while the allegations are serious, he understands that they need to be thoroughly investigated before being widely reported.
Maher noted that the allegations against Emhoff have yet to reach the same level of credibility as those against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of misconduct in 2018. He pointed out that the accusations against Kavanaugh were widely reported by the media, and Maher asked if the liberal media would similarly report on the Emhoff allegations if they become more credible.
Maher referenced a report by the Daily Mail, which claimed that three women who spoke to Harris contemporaneously in 2012 reported that Emhoff had slapped her at the Cannes Film Festival, allegedly because he thought she was flirting with a valet. However, Maher cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stating that these allegations need to be thoroughly checked out before being widely reported.
Maher also drew a comparison between the handling of the Emhoff allegations and those involving 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, who has faced numerous allegations of misconduct involving women. Maher noted that Trump has not been held back from running for president despite these allegations, while Emhoff is unlikely to run for the presidency even if the allegations against him are true. Maher’s comments sparked debate and raised questions about how the media handles allegations of misconduct against public figures.
