Oswalt Blasts Maher’s Trump Strategy: “Zero Respect

Comedian Patton Oswalt has criticized Bill Maher’s strategy of seeking common ground with President Donald Trump, arguing that the approach is fundamentally flawed. According to New York Post, Oswalt made his remarks during an appearance on The Dean Obeidallah Show on Thursday, where he commented on Maher’s widely publicized White House dinner with Trump and the HBO host’s subsequent defense of engaging across political divides.

Obeidallah framed the discussion by pointing to Maher as a cautionary example of appeasement backfiring. “You can’t win with him,” the host observed, noting that despite Maher’s initial diplomatic overtures, Trump eventually turned against him anyway.

Oswalt agreed with this assessment, contending that Trump fundamentally loses respect for those who attempt to placate him. “You can’t do that with him,” the comedian stated, suggesting Maher’s well-intentioned efforts to build rapport were destined to fail.

The Defiance Strategy Works Better

Oswalt then drew a pointed contrast between Maher’s conciliatory approach and the tactics employed by late-night figures Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, both of whom have maintained consistent criticism of Trump throughout his political career. Oswalt argued that their unwillingness to compromise has paradoxically proven more effective.

“By defying Trump, Colbert and Kimmel—yeah, Trump hates them but he hates them because they don’t love him. He wants them to love him,” Oswalt explained. “And then the minute they love him, he has zero respect for them because deep down he hates himself.”

The comedian suggested that principled consistency represents the only viable approach when dealing with Trump, and warned that business dealings with the president typically end in financial ruin. “Anyone that does business with him, you get destroyed,” he asserted.

Maher has publicly defended his decision to dine with Trump despite pushback from viewers who questioned whether the meeting signaled a softening of his critical stance toward the president.

With information from New York Post