Comedian Bill Maher has slammed President Joe Biden for a "condescending" commencement speech he gave at Morehouse College.
Morehouse is a historically Black college for men and has educated the likes of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The announcement that Biden would give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree on May 19 had drawn backlash, as college campuses nationwide have been roiled by anti-war protests amid Biden's ongoing support for Israel.
On the day, there were protests outside of the ceremony and several students and faculty members wore keffiyeh scarves, which Palestinians traditionally wear. Despite the outcry, the president received a standing ovation from Morehouse College administrators.
Now Maher has shared his thoughts on the speech in a conversation with Larry Wilmore during an episode of his Club Random podcast. When Maher asked Wilmore what he thought of the speech, the comedian said he "didn't like it" before the two men went on to discuss how it paled in comparison to the commencement speech given by former President Barack Obama at the same college.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Maher, Wilmore, and Biden for comment Tuesday.
During the episode, Maher referred to a Substack column titled "The Psychology Of Being In A Minority" from author and blogger Andrew Sullivan, which he "loved."
"I thought [Sullivan] had it right. First of all, he quoted Obama speaking at the same college like 10 years earlier and it was night and day," Maher said.
"Obama was all about, you know, so many doors have been broken down, you have so many good reasons to hope, and no more excuses and it went over way better," he said. "Of course, obviously, it's [a] different standard he's working from as a Black man speaking to that college but Biden's was just so, like, I thought 2000-late."
"It's condescending, this is the reason" Wilmore responded before Maher added: "Condescending, yes."
During his speech, Biden talked about his role as a public servant and how the assassination of King Jr. drove him to resign from his "fancy law firm" to become a public defender. He stated: "Dr. King's legacy had a profound impact on me and my generation."
The president also discussed the accomplishments of Black people in America, including the election of former President Barack Obama, whom he served under as vice president, and current Vice President Kamala Harris, who is not only the first woman vice president but also the first vice president of color.
"I'm proud to have the most diverse administration in history to tap into the full talents of our nation. I'm also proud to put in the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court," Biden said referring to his nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. "I have no doubt one day a Morehouse man will be on that Court as well."
While Biden's speech was applauded by some audience members, a video on X, formerly Twitter, showed a graduate with his back turned on Biden as he spoke as a sign of protest. The president did say during his speech: "I support peaceful non-violent protest."
Biden received a standing ovation from the administrators on stage and college alumni in the audience. However, the students remained seated. When the president was presented with an honorary degree, several students walked out, according to The New York Times.
When it was announced that Biden had been chosen as commencement speaker, a letter was circulated by some Morehouse alumni.
"In inviting President Biden to campus, the college affirms a cruel standard that complicity in genocide merits no sanction from the institution that produced one of the towering advocates for nonviolence of the twentieth century," it read. "If the college cannot affirm this noble tradition of justice by rescinding its invitation to President Biden, then the college should reconsider its attachment to Dr. King."
Israel, meanwhile, has rejected the allegation that its actions in Gaza are genocidal.
The U.S. stands behind its ally and its right to self-defense after Hamas led the deadliest militant attack on Israel in history on October 7, 2023. The Biden administration also acknowledges the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has called for a temporary ceasefire to get hostages from Hamas' attack that remain in Gaza home and get humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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