Comedian and talk-show host Bill Maher weighed in on the recent drop in the national crime rate during Friday’s episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO, crediting part of the decline to President Trump’s public image while also pointing to other factors.
Maher described Trump as a “badass” and a “f–k around and find out president,” arguing that the tone set by the administration has had a deterrent effect on criminal behavior.
“It’s just childish to pretend that when you elect a ‘f— around and find out’ president, a ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy-booting-your-ass-V-for-vendetta-kick-ass—and-take-names-say-hello-to-my-little-friend’ president, that’s not going to have some effect on crime,” Maher said, drawing laughter from his studio audience.
Maher did not attribute the drop solely to the president’s image. He also pointed to the expansion of surveillance technology as a factor.
“It’s not just drug crime that’s way down – it’s all crime. And again, probably much of it is not political. It’s because you can’t move two inches in America without being tracked, photographed, and followed by a flock camera,” he said.
He balanced his praise for Trump with criticism of some of the administration’s deportation practices, including cases in which people have been sent to countries where they have no prior connection.
“But it’s also because when Democrats expand the safety net, there are less desperate people – and because Trump is a badass. No, I don’t agree with many of his methods, like how they sometimes just deport people to countries where they have absolutely no connection – like Meghan and Harry. Is doing it this way the right thing? No,” Maher said.
Maher’s remarks come amid broader national debate over the causes of falling crime rates, with figures on deportations and voluntary departures of illegal aliens under the Trump administration also cited by commentators as a contributing factor.
Maher’s willingness to credit the administration on this point has drawn attention because he identifies as a liberal, a label also applied to Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who has similarly broken from parts of his party’s platform in recent months.
