"Real Time" host Bill Maher made the unique argument that President Biden should limit his public appearances despite his "great" performance at his State of the Union address this week.
Maher kicked off his opening monologue Friday night by celebrating the "proof of life" seen during Biden's speech on Thursday night, which he concluded "The state of the president is feisty."
But during his panel discussion, Maher insisted that the winning strategy for Biden ahead of the election is to "come out every once in a while."
"Real Time" host Bill Maher argued President Biden "can" go back to his basement strategy and limit his public appearances in order to win the 2024 election. (Screenshot/HBO)
"When I first said he was going to be 'Ruth Bader Biden,' and I still think that may be the possibility- I think we still would do better with a younger candidate, but ok, maybe not. We'll see. He did well last night," Maher said. "I said, Well, I don't think he's doing a bad job as president. He can do the job. I don't think he can win the job because it's a grueling thing to run for president."
"And then we said, 'Yeah, well he can't do what he did last time, because there was a pandemic, stay in his basement.' Yes, he can," Maher continued. "No one gives a s--- about that. The chattering classes will talk about it. And the public will be like, what do I care?! I don't want to watch this all the time anyway! I don't need to see him every day. He doesn't need to go around the country. Stay where you are. Every once in a while, make a speech like this."
Maher hailed President Biden's "great" State of the Union address, showing there was "proof of life" in the 81-year-old Democrat. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Puck correspondent Tara Palmeri pushed back, telling Maher he should be "doing more interviews," "more press conferences" and "actually be facing the press."
"No," Maher moaned.
"Why not?" Palmeri asked.
"Because he f---s up," Maher admitted. "C'mon, that's a terrible strategy. This was great. It was on the teleprompter. And once in a while, [Republicans] played right into his hands. You know, somebody heckles him. He can riff because he's not too feeble to do that. But being on the campaign- I mean, come on. One bad piece of fish, one slip on the ice, one slip of the tongue which he does all the time."
"But that doesn't inspire confidence. And people want confidence," Palmeri doubled down.
"I don't think they care," Maher responded. "If you see- just very strategically see him every once in a while in a good light. That's what they would do if it was in show business!"
Puck correspondent Tara Palmeri pushed back against Maher, arguing Biden should be doing more interviews and press conferences since limiting public appearances "doesn't inspire confidence." (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Palmeri went on to argue that the longer Biden is out of the public eye, the more the "right-wing media ecosystem" can continue to create the perception of the president as a hiding "zombie" controlled by "faceless bureaucrats in lanyards."
"I think it's better to have them say that you're a zombie than to look like one," Maher said before moving on.