Comedian Bill Maher branded Bret Baier an a**hole over the Fox News hosts combative interview with Kamala Harris.
The liberal talk show host, 68, said on his Real Time with Bill Maher monologue Friday night that he had Baier pegged wrong, claiming he previously believed he was the most legitimate journalist on Fox News.
No actually, he was a huge a**hole, Maher slammed the newsman.
Maher, an avowed anti-Trump voice, went on to defend Harris performance in her interview with Baier, which many of her opponents labeled a car crash and said Baier ended her campaign.
Comedian Bill Maher branded Bret Baier an a**hole on his Real Time with Bill Maher monologue this week
Maher said he had Baier pegged wrong because he previously believed he was the most legitimate journalist on Fox News
Speaking on Harris Fox News interview, Maher joked that they were fair, adding: They asked her the same question they ask every guest, Dont you just hate Kamala Harris?
Turning his focus to Baier - who clashed with Harris on a number of issues including her record on immigration and the economy - Maher asked his audience: Do you know this guy?
I must say I had him pegged wrong. Id always heard about him, he continued.
I dont watch Fox News that much, so I didnt know, but they kept saying he was the most legitimate journalist on Fox News... No actually, he was a huge a**hole.
Maher insisted he wasnt insulting Baier in a partisan way, before repeating: Well, theres tough journalism, and then he was just a huge a**hole.
So, you know, being the most legitimate journalist on Fox is a little like being the hottest person in the dollar store.
Fox News Channels Bret Baier (left) sat down with Vice President Kamala Harris (right) Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania. On Thursday he told viewers he played the wrong clip when questioning her about recent comments made by former President Donald Trump
Baiers interview quickly divided viewers, with supporters of Harris saying he ambushed her while opponents said she was a car crash.
Vince Langman, a supporter of Trump, wrote after the broadcast: I forgive Bret Baier. Hes literally ending Kamala Harriss campaign before our very eyes!
Brian Stelter, a media analyst from CNN, countered that the interview as a positive result for Harris.
A lot of viewers are going to come away saying, "Wow, shes willing to do that. Thats a sign of toughness and strength," Stelter said in a clip shared by the Harris campaign on social media.
However, Baier admitted to his Fox News colleagues this week that he made a glaring mistake during a contentious moment of his interview with Harris.
During Thursday nights episode of his show, Special Report, Baier told panelists Harris Faulkner and Harold Ford Jr. that there had been one big screw-up.
Harold, I did make a mistake. And I did want to say that I did make a mistake, Baier said. When I called for a soundbite, I was expecting a piece of the "enemy from within" from Maria Bartiromos interview to be tied to the piece from your town hall, Harris, where you asked the former president about "the enemy from within."
Instead, Baier admitted, what played out was just the piece about the town hall.
Just take a listen to what I meant to roll, he told viewers.
Former President Donald Trump had said Sunday during his sit-down with Foxs Bartiromo that, I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within.
Not even the people that have come in and [are] destroying our country. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they are - and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, Trump said.
That remark received widespread condemnation, with Harris even playing it out for her audience Monday night when she held a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, which made it all-the-more obvious when thats not what played during the sit-down with Baier.
What Baier played during the interview with Harris was the opportunity Faulkner gave Trump to play clean-up.
I heard about that, Trump said during Faulkers town hall. They were saying I was, like, threatening. Im not threatening anybody. Theyre the ones doing the threatening.
They do phone investigations. Ive been investigated more than Alphonse Capone. He was the greatest gangster, the ex-president continued. No, its true. No, but think of it. Its called weaponization of government. Its a terrible thing.
When Harris heard this clip played out and not Trumps initial enemy from within comments, she grew incredulous.
Bret, Im sorry, and with all due respect, that clip was not what he has been saying about the enemy within that he has repeated when hes speaking about the American people, Harris said. Thats not what you just showed, she objected.
In the moment, Baier defended the playing of that clip.
Well, he was asked about that specific ... Baier started to say.
No, no, no thats not what you just showed, in all fairness and respect to you, Harris shot back.
Im telling you that was the question that we asked him, Baier said.