Bill Maher made a bold prediction about the “rise of autocracy” in the U.S after former FBI Director James Comey‘s indictment.
On the Friday, September 26 episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, the late-night host, 69, made a tongue-in-cheek forecast about where the United States of America will be by Christmas if President Donald Trump, 79, continues his current trajectory.
“James Comey, our former FBI director, was indicted today by the Trump administration,” Maher began his monologue before quipping. “I didn’t even know he had a talk show.”
His remarks came after ABC “indefinitely” suspended Jimmy Kimmel‘s late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following his comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. The show returned to the network on September 23 with record-breaking ratings after a six-day suspension.
“Trump is in his ‘we caught you with your tail light out’ phase of justice,” Maher pointed out. “They will find something to pull you over for. But he’s been trying to get shifty.”
On Thursday, September 25, a federal grand jury in Virginia indicted Comey on one count of obstruction of justice and one count of giving a false statement stemming from his 2020 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is the first senior government official to face federal charges after being involved in investigating Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign over potential ties to Russia.
Additionally, Maher addressed Lindsey Halligan, one of Trump’s personal lawyers who is handling the indictment.
“She is an insurance lawyer, 36 years old,” Maher said. “His personal lawyer never prosecuted anybody, and now she’s going after the former FBI director. If this was an episode of Boston Legal, you’d say this show had jumped the shark.”
Maher then joked,“Did I mention she’s a former beauty pageant contestant. Oh yes, for the talent portion, she kissed a**.”
To conclude the segment, the comedian issued his bold prediction about the POTUS: “So if you are tracking the rise of autocracy, we’re past the muzzling dissident phase, and we’re into the prosecuting political enemy space. I think Trump could be in the general’s uniform by Christmas.”
Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays, 10/9c, HBO