Bill Maher has been accused of ‘transphobia’ after he mocked Caitlyn Jenner’s run for California governor saying her slogan is to ‘take the ‘sack’ out of Sacramento’.
Jenner, 71, filed paperwork to launch her campaign and formally announced her run on social media Friday under the slogan ‘Caitlyn For California’ – in a move that sparked an instant backlash from the likes of celebrities and LGBTQ+ activists online.
Maher waded into the drama on his ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ show Friday night, with Jenner bearing the brunt of the comedian’s jokes.
Bill Maher has been accused of ‘transphobia’ after he mocked Caitlyn Jenner’s run for California governor saying her slogan is to ‘take the ‘sack’ out of Sacramento’
Jenner (above) filed paperwork to launch her campaign and formally announced her run on social media Friday under the slogan ‘Caitlyn For California’
‘How about this for news: Caitlyn Jenner is running for governor,’ he said.
‘I know you think of her as a reality show star, but come on, people change. She is trans, rested and ready.’
Maher then made a cruel jibe at the reality star, who revealed in 2015 that she was transgender.
‘She’s got a great slogan: take the ‘sack’ out of Sacramento,’ he said, as the audience laughed.
He continued with his segment poking fun at her Republican views.
Jenner voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and has filled her campaign team with former Trump aides.
‘But Caitlyn Jenner is a very lifelong Republican. I love that about her,’ he joked.
‘Wasn’t always sure about the man-woman thing, but low capital-gains taxes, born that way!’
Maher continued: ‘And a lot of people, of course, are saying, ‘Isn’t it strange for a trans woman to be in a party that is passing anti-trans laws all over the country?’
Maher’s comments sparked uproar on social media as people hit out at his ‘transphobia’ and ‘bigotry and hate’
‘And Caitlyn said, ‘Yeah, I get that. It’s just something about being in a party that doesn’t respect me that makes me feel like I’m home with the Kardashians.’
Maher’s comments sparked uproar on social media as people hit out at his ‘transphobia’ and ‘bigotry and hate.’
‘There is no limit to Bill Maher’s appalling bigotry and hate. @HBO should be ashamed to continue his presence on the air,’ one person wrote.
‘As a gay man who can’t stand the self-serving egomania of @Caitlyn_Jenner, I’m fully behind the #SayNoToJenner movement. But there are ways to oppose her without being transphobic. Looking at you, @billmaher. #LGBTQ,’ added another person.
This isn’t the first time Maher has hit out at Jenner.
He also mocked her in the past saying: ‘Bruce Jenner is an idiot. Adding t**s didn’t make him a genius.’
Jenner first became famous as Bruce Jenner, a Team USA gold medal-winning decathlete, then stepped back into the spotlight as Kim Kardashian’s step-father on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Caitlyn’s announcement on Friday on Instagram that she is running for governor
While she is yet to confirm if she is running as a Republican or as an Independent, Jenner has surrounded herself with a team of former Donald Trump aides including his ex-campaign manager Brad Parscale and Tony Fabrizio – who worked for Trump in 2016 and 2020 as a pollster
She revealed in 2015 that she was transgender and had started living as Caitlyn.
Jenner announced her run Friday on social media vowing to ‘turn this state around and finally clean up the damage Newsom has done’ if she is elected in the recall election.
While she is yet to confirm if she is running as a Republican or as an Independent, Jenner has surrounded herself with a team of former Donald Trump aides including his ex-campaign manager Brad Parscale and Caroline Wren – one of the organizers of the Stop The Steal rally on January 6 that escalated into the Capitol riot.
Jenner used to be a vocal Trump supporter and was once spotted sporting a MAGA caps.
She later sought to distance herself from his administration due to his policies discriminating against transgender people.
The confirmation of her run sparked an instant backlash among the American public, celebrities and even the LGBTQ+ community.
Many people took to social media to say it is a ‘hard pass’ that they would vote for her while the phrase ‘HELL NO’ began trending.