Bill Maher wasn’t holding back on Friday in his “New Rules” segment on the Los Angeles fires. Like many residents, he is furious with what had happened and said he refuses to just blame the high winds, in a savage takedown of the Democratic leadership on HBO’s “Real Time.” Even the caption to the video read, “Welcome to the Bungle.”
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We may not be able to do much about the weather, but we do need a better plan for putting out a burning city than waiting for rain. pic.twitter.com/6NXIAqHhIy
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) January 18, 2025
“We may not be able to do much about the weather. But we do need a better plan to putting out a burning city than waiting for rain,” Maher said. He described how some were so partisan now, they even defend their “own team over death” and a lot of Democrats are saying “don’t blame politicians, you can’t do anything about the wind.” While Maher acknowledged that you can’t do much about the wind, he then went into all the problems that were not the wind–things that could have been addressed:
Axios ran a story on how getting the water out of the hydrants in Pacific Palisades was more complicated than it seems. I’m sure it is, I’m sure it’s very complicated. That’s why I pay 13 percent of my income in this state every year to people who I assumed were working on things like this.
That got some big cheers from the audience; it hit them right where they live, both in the home and in the pocket. You’ve paid all this money for them to protect you, and what you get in return is failure.
Maher wasn’t done yet. He also took down Gavin Newsom, and the problems that were there before the fire:
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When asked why so many of the hydrants in the Palisades ran out of water, Governor Newsom said the local folks are trying to figure that out. Yeah, you got to do that before the fire. At least in the Palisades, the hydrants were still there. 300 other ones around the city are just gone, stolen…One of the three reservoirs for the Palisades was offline at the one time of year when it was most needed.
Maher referred to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the “Nero of American politics,” saying she was “fiddling in Ghana” while the city she was supposed to be responsible for burned. He pointed out how she said there were winds and negligible rain, which the city hadn’t seen the like of in at least 14 years. “Yeah, that’s not that long a time,” he said, while disparaging her. “Maybe look in the history books to see how our ancestors handled in back in 2011,” he snarked, to more laughter:
The mayor said about cuts to the fire department’s budget, ‘There were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation.’ The Fire Chief here had a slightly different take. She said, ‘We are screaming to be properly funded.’ And yes, the budget was cut and it did impact our ability to provide service. And by the looks of all the fire engines in the bone yard out of service because we didn’t fix them, she’s right.”
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Maher said that some responded by asking, “Do you want to have to pay more taxes to do things like bury power lines so they can’t create a problem?” His line in response was gold, and the audience loved it. He said, “No, I want you to use the exorbitant taxes you already collect to prioritize it!”
He pointed out how they have the highest marginal taxes, “What is included in that? Breadsticks?” Exactly, you’re getting hosed and you’re getting nothing. “Look me in the eye and tell anyone could have done worse,” he said. “We just got our ass kicked by fire. Something Neanderthals fought to a tie.”
Then Maher went at identity politics and if the city’s focus was on the wrong thing when it comes to essential services. He stated that while diversity was mentioned twice in the L.A. Fire Chief’s bio, “while striving to meet and exceed expectations.”
He declared, “You didn’t exceed my expectations — which was that the whole city wouldn’t burn down. It matters where your head is.”
Maher also ripped apart the comment from the L.A. Deputy Chief about wanting to “see someone that looks like you” responding to your fire call. He noted that might sound kind of racist if a “Southern sheriff” said it. But also, that no one really cares what any first responder looks like who comes to save them — just that they are capable of saving them. He continued:
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Now is wokeness the main reason for the fires? Of course not. But it’s also not wrong to associate some of the unforced errors our government made with the things normies see as hallmarks of uber progressive politics: questionable budget priorities, high taxes that get you nothing, making everything about identity politics, virtue signaling overseas as opposed to tending to the nuts and bolts at home, Cali has no shortage of safety commissions and agencies and bureaucrats and regulators, of course, sign language interpreters who communicate with their faces. but common sense? We better get some of that back soon, because wildfires in California are like boob jobs in a strip club — inevitable, and they’re only going to get bigger.
Now, that was wonderfully on target. Maher even seemed to acknowledging, elsewhere in the show, while still showing some of his TDS, that Trump was right about “raking” despite the fact he’d mocked him over it. He also said they shouldn’t be attacking things that Trump says that are right just because he says it:
Bill Maher admits Trump was right about forest management and prevention of fires:
Bill Maher: “Remember when we had a fire when Trump was president and he came and he said, you don’t rake! We all did jokes about it. We got to get over this thing.
I remember when he took… pic.twitter.com/GoCP3KtXs5— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) January 18, 2025
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As I noted previously, some are waking up and they’re ready to move on from this failed kind of Democratic leadership. You have to hold them accountable or none of it changes, and you will be back here over another disaster in the future.
READ MORE: WATCH: Megyn Kelly Reveals Stunning Comment From CA ‘Woke’ Friend Who Lost Home in Fires
Efforts Underway in California to Recall Newsom and Bass – Have Residents Finally Had Enough?
