“Liberals Will Continue to Lose” – Bill Maher Backs Booking Milo Yiannopoulos on Real Time After Other Guest Cancels

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February 17th, 2017 – Outspoken comedian and anti-PC crusader Bill Maher has booked some controversy on this week’s episode of his long-running HBO show Real Time. The program features a panel of experts from a variety of fields who debate the pressing political issues of the day. Illiberal firebrand Milo Yiannnopoulos was invited to be interviewed on Friday’s show prompting another guest, independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, to pull out of his scheduled appearance.

Explaining his decision to cancel in a statement posted on his Twitter page, Scahill balked at the idea of sharing a platform with Yiannopoulos, a man whose arch-conservative views gin up great swells of anger and resentment wherever he goes.

Why I will not appear this week on Real Time with Bill Maher. pic.twitter.com/SOoE3udrDr

— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) February 15, 2017

For his part, Maher, a staunch advocate for the unfettered exchange of ideas, disagreed with Scahill’s decision not to appear on the show with Yiannopoulos arguing:

 “Liberals will continue to lose elections as long as they follow the example of people like Mr. Scahill whose views veer into fantasy and away from bedrock liberal principles like equality of women, respect for minorities, separation of religion and state, and free speech. If Mr. Yiannopoulos is indeed the monster Scahill claims — and he might be — nothing could serve the liberal cause better than having him exposed on Friday night.”

The British-born bomb thrower has a well-earned reputation as a gadfly and poster boy for the so-called “alt-right” movement. Often labeled as white supremacy masquerading as political conservatism, the “alt-right” and its members have in Yiannopoulos an adroit, PR saavy standard bearer who relishes any opportunity to draw his political adversaries into open combat.

His 2016 university tour resulted in several bans from schools in America and the Great Britain while loud protesters awaited him at the institutions where he was permitted to speak. Most recently, a scheduled event at UC Berkeley resulted in Yiannopoulos reportedly leaving under police escort after sporadic violence broke out during anti-Yiannopoulos protests on campus.

The inflammatory former Breitbart editor has made no public comment ahead of his Real Time appearance. His Twitter account was permanently deactivated for a vicious attack campaign directed at comedienne Leslie Jones, but none of the social media platforms Yiannopoulos still has access to has any mention of Scahill’s decision or Maher’s response.

Maher’s staff found a replacement for Scahill and will continue with their planned taping with Yiannopoulos as the featured guest interview. International terrorism expert Malcolm Nance has taken the journalist’s slot, and we’ll find out tonight if he “exposes” Yiannopoulos. 

Real Time airs Friday nights at 10pm EST on HBO. 

What do you think about the booking of Milo Yiannopoulos for Real Time? Should Jeremy Scahill have stayed a fellow guest? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.