Bill Maher Reflects on Criticism of George W. Bush

In a recent conversation with Billy Bush, HBO host Bill Maher expressed that he might have been too critical of his cousin, former President George W. Bush, during his presidency.

During the latest episode of Maher’s podcast, Club Random, he mentioned that while he stands by his criticisms of the 43rd president, he gained “more perspective” after the Trump presidency and feels he could have been less harsh towards Bush.

“I think he knows that, in retrospect, maybe I could have been more reasonable,” said Maher. He also shared an interesting notion: after the episode, he asked Bush to convey a message, acknowledging how hard he had been on him over the years.

While Maher reflected on his past criticisms, he clarified, “I’m not going to take it back. I didn’t support the invasion of Iraq. Basic Republican policies he endorsed were not appealing to me.”

Billy Bush nudged Maher to consider inviting George W. Bush onto his show, noting he would be an “easy hang” and quite entertaining. Maher expressed interest, saying, “I would love to talk about it.”

George W. Bush, who served two terms from 2001 to 2009, was the last Republican president until Donald Trump assumed office in 2016. Trump was notably critical of the Bush presidency during his campaign, further complicating family ties within the party.

Maher has long been vocal about his criticisms of Bush. In a 2013 column, he looked back unfavorably on Bush’s presidency, and earlier in 2016, he challenged Jeb Bush on-stage regarding his brother’s campaign involvement.

In various moments of critique, Maher raised questions about the military’s view on Bush, asking rhetorically why he remained favored despite leading a war many deemed unnecessary.

Interestingly, Maher did feel some of Bush’s ideas, like privatizing Social Security, “wasn’t the worst idea.” He further acknowledged Bush’s gracious remarks toward Barack Obama following the latter’s election victory, contrasting that with Trump’s confrontational style.

“Back then, we were Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives. It was just a different time,” he said, noting it wasn’t as divisive as it seems now.