Bill Maher asks how evangelicals can support Trump, 'giant liar,' given his similarities to 'Satan, father of lies'


HBO host Bill Maher on Friday sat down with Ralph Reed, formerly executive director of the Christian Coalition and currently chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, to ask why evangelical Christians are so supportive of President Trump despite what Maher perceives as some devilish tendencies.
"Why do you think Trump's support among the evangelicals is so solid?" Maher said. "Because he does seem like the least Christian man ever." Reed protested that though he did not initially expect to like Trump, he found the president's "word was his bond" as their acquaintanceship progressed, specifically pointing to Trump's nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
"So what you're saying is as long as he keeps his word to you, but lies to everybody else — because you can't deny that he's a giant liar," Maher replied, adding, "Don't you call Satan the 'father of lies'? Isn't that what he is? Isn't that, like, a little name you have for him? So, Trump, giant liar. Satan, father of lies." Reed replied by arguing that Trump, while imperfect, is the victim of selective outrage to which Democrat Hillary Clinton was immune in 2016.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch a clip of the conversation below. Discussion of Trump's honesty begins around the 2:50 mark. Bonnie Kristian
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein