Bill Maher has a message for anyone thinking about skipping July 4 this year because of President Donald Trump: Don't. The nation's 250th birthday, he argues, belongs to all of us — not to whoever happens to be sitting in the Oval Office.
On Friday's episode of HBO's "Real Time," the comedian pushed back against calls to boycott Independence Day celebrations over Trump's presidency. Maher, who has been a frequent critic of Trump's policies and actions, called the semiquincentennial — yes, that's the fancy word for 250th — "a pretty big deal."
"Everybody has to start getting a little more excited for America's birthday," he said.
Maher acknowledged the elephant in the room: many on the left worry Trump will turn the celebration into a personal rally. "Problem is, there's kind of a stink on it because you-know-who is president right now," Maher said. "So the left half of the country fears he'll make the anniversary about him — of course he will."
But Maher urged viewers to look past that. He called Trump a "temporary caretaker of America" and said, "This is about America. He isn't America."
The backdrop to Maher's plea is Trump's ambitious plan for a "spectacular" July 4 rally in Washington, complete with military flyovers and a record fireworks display. It's part of a 16-day "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall. But the event has run into turbulence: several states, including Illinois and Massachusetts, have declined to build official pavilions, and multiple musicians have withdrawn from the concert lineup, citing concerns that the event has become more partisan than originally advertised.
Maher also took aim at his own side, saying Democrats "treat patriotism as something vaguely embarrassing" outside of election years. He compared this year's anniversary to the 1976 bicentennial, when wearing patriotic clothing wasn't seen as a partisan statement.
The comments come after Maher's earlier criticism of a UFC fight held on the White House South Lawn for Trump's 80th birthday, which drew over 4,000 attendees.
So whether you're planning to grill burgers, watch fireworks, or just enjoy a day off, Maher's point is simple: don't let politics steal your pride in the country's birthday. After all, America's been around for 250 years — it's survived a lot more than one president.
