Veteran MSNBC host Chris Matthews resigned last week following allegations that he inappropriately flirted with women who appeared on his show and several high-profile, on-air blunders.
On Friday night, “Real Time” host Bill Maher defended the fallen anchor, calling the former host “a friend of mine.” Fox News reported that Maher opened his program with a monologue about Matthews.
“A friend of mine lost his job this week — Chris Matthews,” said. “Wanted to give him a shoutout because I will miss him and a lot of other people will too. … MSNBC used to run this thing, ‘This is who we are.’ Well, I didn’t like who you were this week and I don’t think a lot of people who work there like this either and I think this cancel culture is a cancer on progressivism.”
Maher went on to list the “horrible things” that Matthews did wrong prior to his abrupt retirement, including his comparison of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) win in Nevada to Adolf Hitler taking over France and confusing Republican Sen. Tim Scott (SC) for the Democratic candidate looking to unseat Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jaime Harrison. In addition to claims that he traumatized women by complimenting their looks, Matthews was also accused of being too harsh on female Democratic candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), even though he was hard on a lot of candidates, especially Sanders.
“I got fired for doing what I do on a show called ‘Politically Incorrect.’ This show is called ‘Hardball’!” Maher said. “This sounds like every question Chris has asked. And I hated to be interviewed by Chris because he’d ask you a question, you’d start to answer, and he’d keep talking because he had so many thoughts. I’d like to have some more people on TV with thoughts. A lot of other people couldn’t interrupt themselves because they don’t have a thought that the producer isn’t putting in their ear!”
Maher then said Matthews did make “kind of creepy remarks” to women, but defended the former MSNBC host by saying “Guys are married for a million years … want to flirt for two seconds.”
Maher then poked fun at GQ writer Laura Bassett who claimed Matthews’ compliments about her looks “undermined my ability to do my job well.” Maher played on Bassett’s newfound “victim” status, since she tried to paint herself as a victim of sexual harassment due to Matthews’ comments.
“Thank you, Rosa Parks,” Maher said, sarcastically. “I guess my question is, ‘Do you understand why Democrats lose?… Is she a compliment victim or a compliment survivor?”
Matthews said goodbye to viewers on last Monday’s episode of “Hardball,” which he had hosted for 20 years.
“Let me start with my headline tonight: I’m retiring. This is the last ‘Hardball’ on MSNBC,” Matthews said. “And obviously, this isn’t for the lack of interest in politics. As you can tell, I loved every minute of my 20 years as host of ‘Hardball.’ Every morning I read the papers and I’m gung-ho to get to work. Not many people have had this privilege. I loved working with my producers and our discussions we’d have on how we report the news. And I love having this connection with you, the people who watch.”
“After conversations with NBC, I decided tonight will be my last ‘Hardball.’ So let me tell you why. The younger generations out there are ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, in the media, and fighting for their causes,” he continued.