Bill Maher accused of making racist chicken joke to black Republican

Bill Maher is being accused of racism after cracking a Popeye’s chicken joke aimed at black Republican congressman Will Hurd during a segment of Real Time with Bill Maher show on Friday night.

During a heated exchange on the weekly HBO show, in which border security and the wall were the main talking points, Maher asks the Texan Congressman, who is black, why he is a Republican and chooses to side with a “traitor” of a president.

The Texan responds by saying:

I'm a Republican because I believe in limited government.

But before he can finish, Maher interrupts, challenging the politician, saying:

I'm just asking why you're Republican? Because they're not good at the debt, that was their big thing.

You said limited government, they don't do that. They took over the Congress in 2011 and they raised the debt a trillion dollars a year.

What's in it for you? What is in the Republican party for you? You were in the CIA!

Hurd responds calmly:

I was in the CIA for almost a decade. I was the dude in the back alleys at four o'clock in the morning collecting intelligence on threats to the homeland.

To which Maher firebacks with:

That's where you'd collect it, huh? Wow. By the Popeyes Chicken?

This is not the first time the TV host has gotten into hot water for making jokes about racial stereotypes.

Two years ago, Maher casually dropped the n-word during a Real Time interview with Republican senator Ben Sasse.

Responding to a dig by Sasse, who joked: “We’d love to have you work in the fields with us”, Maher said:

Work in the field? Senator, I’m a house n***er

But after receiving a lot of backlash for the comment made to Sasse, the comedian issued a rare apology:

Friday nights are always my worst nights of sleep because I’m up reflecting on the things I should or shouldn’t have said on my live show.

Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive and I regret saying it and I’m very sorry.

While Hurd seemed to laugh off the joke during yesterday's segment, the audience can be heard reacting a little shocked.

Maher has yet to comment on his joke.

HT Daily Beast

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