On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher said that President Joe Biden’s deportation protection order is “kind of pandering” and that his rhetoric on racism along with his student debt plan are also pandering.
Maher said Biden is “losing the people who are supposed to be the ones in the Democratic camp. Immigration, I saw this week, okay, he’s allowing U.S. citizens now — their spouses to apply for permanent residency. They’ve been here for, sometimes, up to ten years, married, not a citizen. Okay. That’s kind of pandering to — it’s not working. 45% of Hispanic voters prefer Biden, compared to 39% for Trump. Last time, he won 59%. That was 2020. So, he’s lost 14 points there. He went to Morehouse, he said, ‘What is democracy if you have to be ten times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?’ That seems like pandering to me. Black voters under 50, he led by 80 points in 2020. Now, by 37, still a lot, but he’s lost 43 points off the key constituency. Student loans, he’s forgiven $144 billion in student loans, only 36% of student debt holders like it. If you can’t win the people you’re pandering to — I get it, politics is somewhat about pandering. That’s not even an insult. You’re supposed to do what people want to a certain degree, also be a leader, but if you’re not winning these groups, and he’s lost 8% off women since 2020. And yet, I read in the polls, he’s pulled ahead this week, explain that to me.”
Later, he added that 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump’s proposal that tips shouldn’t be taxed was “kind of a pander,” but Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) marijuana pardon was “not a pander, even though it would work that way, it’s just good, common sense in politics.”
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