Overtime - Episode #478: Chelsea Handler, Bari Weiss, Anthony Romero, Jim VandeHei | Real Time (HBO)

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Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late-night series, real time with Bill Ma.

Back on the internet.

Hi.

Hi.

Tell me about that.

My producer was just whispering in my ear that you had whispered into his ear about that 1934 picture in New York of the people

rallying for the Nazis.

It's a long-standing concern of the ACU to defend the rights of people that even you hate.

Right.

That freedom of speech is for everyone, indivisible, and for everyone.

And And so the very first thing.

It should be, and that's very brave of you.

It's the right thing to do.

That's true courage.

It's the right thing to do.

It's not popular.

It's

principle.

What I tell our folks is that if we don't stand up for the right of freedom of speech now, for folks that we hate, then it's going to be Black Lives Matter and the DREAMers and the protesters who care about trans rights will be shut down.

But the very first big Nazi case for us was in the 1934, the picture you just showed on the show, where

that was courageous.

I mean, the Skokie case is the best known one for us, but that was easier, right?

Because Skokie, the Nazis were a pathetic little group of individuals.

They never even had the damn picket

in Chicago, in Skokie, actually.

But in 1934, the Nazis were on the ascent.

And they were wanting to push down Broadway.

And it's a lot like the current context, where the rise of white supremacists is on the ascent.

Let's be real.

Yes.

And it's not, these are not just hallucinations by folks of color and by religious minority groups.

But I think it's essentially really important for us to do it.

Chelsea Handler, what do you think of the right-wing media using your actions to enrage their base?

Are they doing that to you guys?

I guess so.

I don't know.

I mean, I don't.

Do you read your social media?

No, I don't read anything.

No, I don't.

It's just too different.

I don't know people who, I don't know why people who do do that.

I can't ever imagine sitting there and going on somebody's page and being like, I hate you.

You die.

Like, I could never spend my time doing that.

So, no, I don't care what anybody, those people say.

I don't know how to block people, and when I do, I'm going to start.

And when I learn, someone has to show me, and when I learn, because I think everybody should put their bad energy out there, because that way it's recorded.

You know what I mean?

And eventually, there will come a time where we will tamp down on this behavior, not through freedom of speech, but through some other, you know, through some other legislation.

Because obviously, this hateful rhetoric all the time and threatening people's lives.

But it should be

through legislation.

It has to be through restoring social norms.

It needs to be through restoring this word that he has emptied of all meaning, which is civility.

Civility matters.

He's taken away all of the guardrails.

That's why these bigots in their basement feel the confidence and the spine to come out and shoot people.

But I have to say, to that point, I've become such a kinder, nicer person because of Donald Trump being elected and the hate.

Like, I'm nice to people I never noticed before because I'm like, oh my god, this is what happens if you don't pay attention to other people around you.

Get out of your own lane and pay attention to the people around you.

So I'm nicer and kinder.

I'm doing great.

Okay, for Barry and Jim, going forward, will there continue to be a place for an actual reporter like Shep Smith?

Oh, yes, at Fox News.

I don't know how.

He's doing a good thing this week.

He's done it before, too.

Yes, he's one of the few people, him, Brett Bayer, Chris Wallace, there's a few.

Dana Perino.

But especially him.

He said about the caravan: it's not a danger.

No one's coming to get you.

Let's see if we can go back in.

I'm not going to be last there.

at Fox.

I mean, it's Trump TV.

Give me a time to put it in the middle of the day.

They're talking about

it.

But he doesn't watch that one.

I mean, isn't there something we can do?

I mean, I don't want to, like, I mean, don't we want to, we have to hold Rupert Murdoch accountable in some way.

I mean, there's got to be a creative way to squeeze those advertisers on that network.

A lot of liberal.

But doesn't someone know Rupert Murdoch?

And couldn't they.

A lot of people know Rupert Murdoch.

You probably know Rupert Murdoch.

I've met him.

I wouldn't say I know him.

Yeah, but the idea is.

Couldn't someone get to him and say, geez.

Fox has a board of directors.

That are all immigrants.

We're hammering them.

That are all immigrants, by the way.

One of them was born in this country on the Fox News board.

I read that today.

He had Dan on the board there.

There are a lot of folks.

Because that's what's different, is that he has state TV.

That's what we never had before, and that's what a dictator always has.

Yes, and they're saying that they are bringing,

the migrants in the caravan are bringing smallpox.

Yes.

Okay, a disease which has been eradicated.

So, and people

watch this incessantly.

They're talking about

the sorrows-funded State Department on Lou Dobbs.

But I think if they get it right once in a while, when they let Chris Wallace say the right thing in a certain slot, we have to put that in the context of the rest of the time, the 24 hours in which

I get it.

It's just like, so we give them a little dog.

I know what you're right.

I think about it.

You got a little biscuit.

Thank you for getting the news right this time.

I know, but come on.

I'm glad that someone like Shep Smith and Chris Wallace are on there because the people that are watching it, I want them to get a little bit of sanity.

Wouldn't it be better better if they weren't on there at all?

No, of course.

I don't think so.

But it doesn't fix the problem.

It doesn't fix the largest problem.

Obviously, there's the same argument for all the people that are in the administration, keeping an eye on things or staying the ship.

It's like, well, okay, but you guys aren't really doing a good job of keeping it together either.

You know,

I'm happy that Jim Mattis is there right now.

I feel

less safe, and I already feel unsafe if he wasn't there.

Right.

So, I mean, it's a lose-lose, but I think it's sort of on balance a little better.

What do you make of people like Lou Dobbs, who used to be normal?

Lindsey Graham.

Lindsey Graham

is

bailed by the Russians.

I mean, come on.

Lindsey Graham's in a complete 180.

It's not the Russians who are black people.

Well, somebody has a video.

No, the Times just reported it.

Come on.

He's getting to be a rock star.

Yeah.

He's getting the adulation of this mob.

Yes.

Okay.

And people are giving into that.

I saw him in West Hollywood on Halloween.

He's doing that.

All right.

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