‘I Never Saw That!’ Bill Maher Stunned When Brian Williams Tells Him Leftists Oppose Football

Liberals hate football? That’s news to Bill Maher.

The veteran comic was shocked to hear ex-NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams tell him a great example of Democrats being out of touch with regular Americans is that many of them despise the NFL. W

“This is one of Carville’s harangues — they’re anti-NFL because of toxic masculinity, they’re anti-meat because the cows that supply the meat fart all day and that’s giving us methane,” Williams told Maher on the Monday episode of his Club Random podcast. They got on the topic after they both said some Dems have looked dumb for hating Thanksgiving, like failed Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.

Maher laughed about the cows before marveling at the pigskin comment.

“That one I have not heard!” Maher said. “Who thinks liberals are against the NFL?”

Williams reiterated he was quoting James Carville, who said in 2024 the overall message coming from the Democratic Party was “too feminine.” 

“Don’t drink beer. Don’t watch football. Don’t eat hamburgers. This is not good for you,” Carville said at the time.

Maher couldn’t believe it.

“So you’ve seen that?” Maher asked Williams.

“Yeah, yeah,” Williams said.

“Because it’s violent?” Maher asked.

“Yes, it’s toxic masculinity,” Williams told him.

Maher did not push back; he just seemed fairly disgusted by what he was hearing. The Real Time host said football was a topic where his inner Libertarian came out: if the players consent to play, there should be no complaints about the game being brutal, he said.

“These players are happy. This is their happy place when it goes well,” Maher said. “Yes, it breaks your bones. As an adult, you have to have the right to say ‘I get it, this could fuck me up, later in life will not be as good — I don’t care. That’s my choice to do it now.'”

The comment which seemed to throw Maher off a bit came right after, when Williams said the New York Giants — the team both guys cheer for — has endured an “elite level” of suffering. Maher scoffed at it and pointed out they’ve won three Super Bowls, including one he attended with his dad back in 1987.

And for what it’s worth, a 2023 Ipsos survey found 44% of Dems and 45% of Republicans said they are NFL fans.

Watch above.

Jason Cohen contributed to this story.

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