Bill Maher Calls Left 'Naive' and Right 'Hysterical' on Muslim Candidates

Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time, said Friday that he would "call bullshit" on former President Barack Obama's defense of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan. In the same breath, he called President Donald Trump's warnings about the candidate "crazy."

The remarks came four days before the midterms and leave Maher at odds with both parties over a race that could help decide control of the Senate. El-Sayed leads former Republican Representative Mike Rogers by 4.5 points, 49 percent to 44.5 percent, in PolitiKool's polling average.

"I think as far as this issue goes about Islam in America and candidates who are Muslim, the left is naive and the right is hysterical," Maher said.

What Obama Said About Abdul El-Sayed

Obama campaigned with El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic nominee for governor, at Cass Technical High School in Detroit on October 24. He warned that opponents "may even use your name or your faith to somehow suggest you are dangerous and less than trustworthy and less patriotic and less American than they are," Michigan Public reported.

"We have seen this movie before. I starred in it," Obama said, then joked about producing his long-form birth certificate. That was a nod to the "birther" conspiracy theory, which falsely claimed he was born outside the United States and dogged his presidency.

Maher read Obama's lines on air before rejecting them. He did not spell out what he thinks Democrats are missing. "Again, they are naive on the left on this issue and we can get into that, but this is also crazy," he said, turning to Trump.

Bill Maher Calls Trump's 'Jihadists' Warning 'Crazy'

The Trump remark Maher quoted came at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday. "If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas," Trump said. He also called El-Sayed a "jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member" and said he would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate," the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Maher asked.

The record does not back up the Muslim Brotherhood charge. The attacks rest largely on posts by El-Sayed's half-sister and on his mother's past work as a nurse for a Muslim aid group that was later designated as supporting terrorist organizations, the JTA reported. His mother was never accused of wrongdoing. El-Sayed's campaign said he "disagrees" with his sister's views and was raised mainly by his father and stepmother. El-Sayed has called the evidence about his half-sister "hearsay" from a tweet.

The Israel-Iran Debate Question

Maher's own objection to El-Sayed came after musician Kid Rock, a longtime Trump supporter, brought up the candidates' debate and said El-Sayed "couldn't answer the question" of whether Iran or Israel is the bigger threat to the United States. Maher replied, "I think you're right about the point."

"Iran doesn't have those. They shoot protesters in the street. You're never going to get my vote if you don't understand that fundamental difference," Maher said, contrasting Israel's elections with Iran's.

In the October 8 debate on WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, El-Sayed called the question a "ridiculous hypothetical" and said both countries "have proven dangerous in their own way," The Times of Israel reported. He also argued that Israel had pulled the United States into a "stupid war" with Iran.

Maher did push back on Kid Rock's comparison of El-Sayed to the September 11 attackers. "The 9/11 hijackers weren't here assimilated. They were from Saudi Arabia," he said. Jim VandeHei, co-founder and CEO of Axios, added that "there's a big difference between being anti-Israel and then saying that someone is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood."

What Polling Shows on Islam and Muslim Candidates

The split Maher described shows up in survey data. In a January 2026 Pew Research Center survey, 51 percent of U.S. adults said Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence, up from 25 percent in 2002. Among Republicans, the share rose from 32 percent to 76 percent. Among Democrats, it went from 23 percent to 29 percent.

Willingness to elect a Muslim has been rising. In a Gallup poll conducted January 16-29, 2020, 66 percent of Americans said they would vote for a well-qualified Muslim presidential candidate nominated by their party, up from 60 percent in 2015.

What Happens Next in Michigan

Recent independent polls show a close race. A Marist poll conducted October 15-18 had El-Sayed at 50 percent and Rogers at 48 percent among likely voters. A Glengariff Group poll for WDIV and The Detroit News, conducted October 19-22, put El-Sayed ahead 51.4 percent to 45.1 percent.

Israel has also become an issue for Rogers on the right, where some conservatives have predicted it could cost him the race. Michigan votes Tuesday.