On Friday evening, comedian and Real Time host Bill Maher mocked reality star and former Olympian athlete Caitlyn Jenner.
Caitlyn Jenner, born William Bruce Jenner, publicly came out as a trans woman in 2015. Since then, she has become a transgender rights activist, openly talking about issues trans people face in the United States.
Earlier this week, Jenner officially filed paperwork to run for governor of California. A longtime Republican, Jenner will seek to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election.
Maher Says Jenner Is ‘Trans, Rested And Ready’
“I know that you think of her as a reality show star, but come on. People change,” Maher began his monologue, as reported by The Hill.
“She is trans, rested and ready. She’s got a great slogan: ‘Take the sack out of Sacramento,'” he said.
The comedian described the petition to recall Newsom as “stupid” and noted that Jenner is a lifelong Republican.
“I love that about her. Wasn’t always sure about the man-woman thing, but low capital gains taxes — born that way,” he continued.
Maher Ridicules Jenner
Maher noted that the Republican Party is passing “anti-trans laws” in states across the nation and poked fun at Jenner’s conservatism, taking a shot at her family.
“And a lot of people, of course, are saying, ‘Isn’t it strange for a trans woman to be in a party that is passing anti-trans laws all over the country?’ And Caitlyn said, ‘Yeah, I get that. It’s just something about being in a party that doesn’t respect me that makes me feel like I’m home with the Kardashians.'”
Accusations Of Transphobia
Commentators were quick to criticize Maher for making what they claim are transphobic jokes about Jenner.
“However you feel about Jenner’s politics, these transphobic cracks are nothing short of disgusting,” wrote Senior Entertainment editor at The Daily Beast Marlow Stern.
He noted that Jenner supported former President Donald Trump and was photographed wearing a Make America Great Again hat, but insisted that Maher’s jokes were highly inappropriate.
Stern also claimed that Maher has a “long history of transphobia” and slammed the comedian for making jokes about George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Jenner’s Campaign
As reported by Axios, Jenner has assembled a team of veteran GOP operatives.
Former Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, founder of RedRock Strategies Ryan Erwin, former White House official Steven Cheung and president of Allegiance Strategies Tyler Deaton will all work on Jenner’s campaign.
Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale reportedly helped Jenner assemble her team, though he won’t actually work on her campaign.
Members of Jenner’s campaign are reportedly optimistic about her chances, but polling shows that only 40 percent of Californians support recalling Newsom.
