During Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” the panel discussion turned to the depressing fact that since it’s likely people behind the Jan. 6 insurrection won’t be held accountable, Republicans are increasingly embracing that violent national disgrace.
And Bill Maher used that bleak topic as inspiration for his mid-show gag, via a fake ad for commemorative Jan. 6 coins called “Heroes of the Coup.”
Before the gag began, Maher ran down the evolving narrative from conservatives about the insurrection. “First it was ANTIFA,” he said, referring to false claims that leftists were the actual Jan. 6 rioters. “Then it was ‘liberals dressed as us,’ that’s my favorite… then it was the FBI” Maher continued, referring to various attempts to present the riot as a false flag operation committed either by liberal activists or the government.
“Now they’ve come around to actually embracing the idea that ‘no, it actually wasn’t a bad day at all,” Maher continued. “It was us and we’re proud of it.”
“They’re basically saying these were brave patriots,” he said — and this is, by the way, depressingly true — ” to the point that we thought we could make some money off this.”
That’s when Maher cued up the gag, a commercial for “The Franklin Mint’s ‘Heroes of the Coup’ commemorative coin collection.”
The commercial promised coins paying tribute to: Ashli Babbitt; Sen. Josh Hawley; “The guy who stole the podium”; “The guy bear-spraying a Capitol police officer”; “The guy who attacked police with a crutch”; “The hanging off the Senate balcony guy”; “The ‘Camp Auschwitz’ sweatshirt guy”; “and of course, the QAnon Shamen, complete with his majestic helmet.”
“Each month you’ll receive a brand new coin to remind family and friends, ‘I’m not just trolling you, I completely bought into this,” the ad continues.
In addition, the ad promised a preserved “piece of the actual feces smeared on Nancy Pelosi’s wall on that magical day,” as well as a “commemorative Rudy Giuliani syrup dispenser,” which leaks syrup from the sides, just like his hair dye did in 2020.
Watch the whole thing above.