Bill Maher, under fire using the N-word on last week’s “Real Time,” is setting himself up for more criticism: He wants Milo Yiannopoulos back on the show.
Maher was lambasted earlier this year for inviting Yiannopoulos on his show because of the former Breitbart writer’s past insulting language about women, people of color and transgender people. But Maher told Esquire in a piece published on Tuesday that he would like to have Yiannopoulos back on “Real Time With Bill Maher.”
“I actually want to have him back,” Maher told Esquire. “I don’t think he would be that hard to bring around to a much more reasonable position.” (Maher’s comments were made before the recent flap surrounding the embattled talk show host’s use of the N-word.)
During a February episode of the HBO talk show, Yiannopoulos earned flak for comments about transgender people, including saying that they are “disproportionately involved” in sex crimes. Later that month, Yiannopoulos resigned from his position at Breitbart over resurfaced comments he had previously made about pedophilia.
An insider with knowledge of the situation tells TheWrap that Yiannopoulos is in talks to appear on Maher’s show.
In the Esquire piece, Yiannopoulos praised Maher as “one of the few people, left or right, not afraid to express themselves on difficult subjects.” When asked asked specifically about the remark regarding transgender people, Yiannopoulos added, “I don’t give a s—.”
Maher jokingly called himself a “house n—er” while speaking with Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse during Friday’s episode. Maher has apologized for the comment, and HBO called it “completely inexcusable” and said the remark will be removed from future broadcasts.
On Monday, Sen. Al Franken announced that he will no longer appear on this week’s “Real Time,” with the “Saturday Night Live” alum calling Maher’s joke “inappropriate and offensive.”