October 26, 2025
‘Here’s a question that I saw — I did not realize until it hit the news a lot — was that it was very white,’ Maher said of the ‘No Kings’ protest movement.
During Oct. 24’s episode of “Real Time,” Bill Maher questioned why the nationwide “No Kings” protests against former President Donald Trump appeared to lack racial diversity. Maher pointed to a report from The Baltimore Sun, which noted that its photographers had difficulty finding Black demonstrators among the millions who gathered across the country.
“Here’s a question that I saw — I did not realize until it hit the news a lot — was that it was very white. What do you make of that?” Maher asked panelist Michael Steele. “The guy in Baltimore, the paper there said, we struggled to find a picture of Black people in this march. I’m okay with that. I didn’t go and I feel like, well, you talk.”
Steele, a former Republican National Committee chairman, responded with humor before adding that he believed race should not overshadow the broader message of the movement. “That is a distraction for me to go down that road,” he said, arguing that the protests differ from deeper political issues between Democrats and Black voters.
“You look at the fact that in the first version of that, five million Americans showed up, this version seven-plus million — that’s a trend line that you pay attention to.”
Maher later speculated that fear of surveillance or professional repercussions might explain why fewer Black participants attended. “In China, if they see you at a rally — and they always do because they have cameras everywhere — and they may have that here,” he said.
“Maybe when I go into work, I’m not going to be welcome there. And I think Black folks have a greater understanding of this than the white folk, which is why they might not have shown up, and I don’t blame them.”
The “No Kings” demonstrations, which drew millions nationwide, were organized in response to concerns about democratic norms under Trump’s leadership. Maher’s comments added a new layer to the discussion, raising questions about representation and participation within modern protest movements.
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