HBO’s Real Time host, Bill Maher is taking credit for Milo Yiannopoulos’ resignation from Breitbart News.
In a matter of a few days, Milo, an alternative conservative media personality, went from being a writer in one of the most popular U.S. conservative news outlets to losing his book deal and becoming a CPAC keynote speaker. Also, Milo decided to resign from Breitbart after a video went viral that revealed him defending pedophilia.
When Maher invited Yiannopoulos to HBO’s Real Time, Maher threw himself in the middle of a controversy with one of the guests, Jeremy Scahill, baking out of the show in protest of Milo’s attendance. Scahill published a statement on Twitter arguing, “Appearing on Real Time will provide Yiannopoulos with a large, important platform to openly advocate his racist, anti-immigrant campaign.”
Why I will not appear this week on Real Time with Bill Maher. pic.twitter.com/SOoE3udrDr
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) February 15, 2017
However, following Milo’s appearance on Real Time, Maher claims that everything worked out.
“About a week ago, I went on Van Jones’ show, and somebody asked me about the booking. I hadn’t really gotten into the details of Milo yet. He was just getting on my radar,” Maher explained.
“I said, specifically, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Then we had Milo on, despite the fact that many people said, ‘Oh, how dare you give a platform to this man.’ What I think people saw was an emotionally needy Ann Coulter wannabe, trying to make a buck off of the left’s propensity for outrage.”And by the end of the weekend, by dinnertime Monday, he’s dropped as a speaker at CPAC. Then he’s dropped by Breitbart, and his book deal falls through. As I say, sunlight is the best disinfectant. You’re welcome.”
Maher added, “And by the end of the weekend, by dinnertime Monday, he’s dropped as a speaker at CPAC. Then he’s dropped by Breitbart, and his book deal falls through. As I say, sunlight is the best disinfectant. You’re welcome.”
Maher argues that he was able to take out Milo by doing nothing. Moreover, Maher responded to the New York Times question as to why he gave Milo the ability to discuss whatever he wanted on the show. Maher argued, “It’s not my job to hold him accountable to everything he’s ever said or done. I had eight minutes with him, on the show itself. Sorry I don’t have time to go over everything everybody else would want to do.”
Maher continued, “You know what he is? He’s the little impish, bratty kid brother. And the liberals are his older teenage sisters who are having a sleepover, and he puts a spider in their sleeping bag so he can watch them scream.”
That said, Milo’s press conference reveals that he has no plans on stopping and will most likely use this controversy, spotlight, and attention to create his media platform.