Comedian Bill Maher has criticized members of the media for their reluctance to use the words "terrorists" and "terrorism" when describing the September 11, 2001, attacks. Maher pointed to style guidance issued in 2021 by several American journalism organizations, including the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the South Asian Journalists Association. These organizations advised reporters to avoid using the terms unless they were within quotes, citing the terms' emotional and political weight.
Mahers remarks came during his show "Real Time" on Friday, where he questioned the journalistic approach. "So is the World Cup. But we don't put 'soccer' in quotes. Really?" he quipped, drawing laughter from the audience. He also highlighted similar guidelines from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which suggested phrasing like "The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan" and "The World Trade Center was destroyed" instead of referring to "terrorist attacks."
"Even though the very definition of terrorism is using violence against civilians to pursue ideological goals. What should we call it then? Unruly passengers?" Maher asked. He suggested that avoiding the term "terrorism" is a "barrier to understanding" and likened it to "lying."
Mahers criticism extended to the BBC, which he noted also has editorial guidelines requiring journalists to avoid using the words without direct attribution, out of concern they might be perceived as a "value judgment rather than an aid to understanding."
The host also commented on what he described as a cultural shift, which he attributed in part to Democrats. He recalled facing backlash for arguing shortly after the 9/11 attacks that the hijackers "weren’t cowards." Maher stated that while he believed the terrorists were not cowards, he also said, "I know a guy whose show got canceled just for saying the terrorists weren’t cowards. And that guy was right. They weren’t cowards, but I’ll tell you who is: Democratic Party politicians."
He further drew a parallel between perceived "moral confusion" within the Democratic Party and the situation in Gaza. Maher asserted that the events in Gaza were "not a genocide" but "a counter-attack in a war." He referenced a 2023 poll indicating that 20 percent of Americans aged 18-29 hold a positive view of Osama Bin Laden. "Gaza equals genocide is a lie, an easily provable lie," Maher maintained. "And the fact that so many prominent Democrats go along with it is, to me, the party’s worst moment since they undid Reconstruction after the Civil War."
Mahers career began with ABCs "Politically Incorrect," where he presented himself as independent of party lines. He has hosted "Real Time" on HBO for over two decades. His early remarks about the 9/11 hijackers, where he argued that taking one's own life "is not cowardly" and called dropping cruise missiles from afar "cowardly," led to the cancellation of "Politically Incorrect" by ABC the year after the attacks.