Liberal talk-show host Bill Maher said he “can’t stop thinking” about the killing of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk and recalled a friendly interview with him as he condemned those who celebrated the death.
Speaking on his Club Random podcast with guest Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Maher said the assassin’s attack during a campus event left him shaken. “Look, I might drink a little more than usual today,” Maher said. “Because I don’t know when this is airing, but this is a s— day. A guy who sat there – Charlie Kirk – got shot today, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Maher used the conversation to draw a distinction between conservatives who, he said, are often willing to engage across ideological lines and what he characterized as a far left that seeks to silence opposing views. “Charlie Kirk was always willing to engage – I talked to him here. Say what you want about right-wingers, but they’ll talk to you. The left has more of a, ‘I won’t talk to you. You’re deplorable. I can’t break bread with you.’ Right-wingers don’t have that attitude,” he said.
He also rebuked liberals who celebrated Kirk’s death. “And if you’re on the other side of the political divide, and you don’t care because the wrong team guy got shot – f— you. You’re what’s wrong with this country,” Maher said. He added that, despite political differences, Kirk “sat here. He’s a human being. He’s not a monster.”
Corgan joined Maher in urging that political violence not be normalized. “And a husband, and a father,” Corgan said of Kirk. “Violence has to be off the table,” he told Maher, warning that peace should not be taken for granted and pointing to countries still plagued by sectarian political violence.
Maher reiterated his identification as an “old-school liberal” while criticizing what he described as the far left’s dominance within modern progressive politics, saying such attitudes have contributed to divisions. He said both sides must take responsibility for extremists among their ranks if political violence is to be curtailed.
The shooting, which occurred at a campus event and resulted in the death of the conservative activist, prompted a national conversation about the value of political dialogue and the responsibilities of political movements and media figures. Maher’s remarks reflect a broader debate over civility and engagement across ideological lines in American public life.
Maher’s comments on Club Random came as news outlets and political figures reacted to the killing and called for restraint. On-air exchanges such as the one between Maher and Corgan highlight how media forums are being used to process the episode and to press for renewed emphasis on dialogue and the rejection of political violence.