Late-night host Bill Maher blasted liberals for targeting actress Cheryl Hines, the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over the former candidate endorsing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Maher spoke about the fallout Hines has faced since Kennedy Jr. threw his support behind Trump after dropping out of the upcoming election during the Friday episode of HBO’s “Real Time.”
“His wife is Cheryl Hines, who Larry David was quoted as describing as ‘the best person I ever met, the one person in Hollywood who doesn’t have a single enemy,’” Maher remarked.
Bill Maher calls out the Democrats for their ‘mafia’ style tactics going after Cheryl Hines, RFK’s wife:
“Going after the wife? Even the mafia doesn’t do that.”Kamala also exhibited ‘mafia’ style tactics by making Biden ‘An offer he couldn’t refuse’. Trust Democrats at your own… pic.twitter.com/fBMNEP0Ngb
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) September 7, 2024
“Well now she does, because she didn’t throw her husband under the bus when her husband made a decision about something which she’s made plain she disagrees with, but that didn’t satisfy the obnoxious posers on the aforementioned far-Left.”
He pointed out that Hines has been targeted by social media for not speaking out against her husband.
“You want to know why I have a bug up my a** about the Left more than I used to?” he questioned.
“It’s s*** like this. There’s an ugliness they never used to have. The Liberals I grew up respecting, none of them are like this. Going after the wife? Even the mafia doesn’t do that.”
Cheryl Hines is a living example of how a woman who seemingly has everything can lose it all, including her reputation, simply by choosing the wrong man. pic.twitter.com/pdfNa0nMnK
— Sunny “Burl” Daze (@Sunny_Burl_Daze) July 15, 2023
Hines made a statement on Aug. 23, the day Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the election, thanking the people who “worked so tirelessly” on his campaign.
“They have gathered over a million signatures, more than any candidate in history, and have achieved ballot access across the country despite the roadblocks and lawsuits that have been brought against them for the sole purpose of keeping Bobby off of the ballots so no one would even have the opportunity to vote for him,” she posted.
Thought Hines made no mention of Trump, she concluded her note with a message of unity.
@CherylHines is so done forever. Remember when RFK Jr. said they planned to move back to NY so she could do Broadway? Yikes. Enjoy retirement girl. https://t.co/iBcMLpTPpD
— Ms. M 🪷 Google Project 2025 (@MsMalarkey24) September 7, 2024
“It’s been my experience that the vast majority of all parties are truly good people who want the best for our country and for each other,” the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star wrote. “It has been an eye-opening, transformative, and endearing journey.”
“I am so grateful to my amazing wife Cheryl for her unconditional love, as I made a political decision with which she is very uncomfortable,” Kennedy Jr. responded to the post.
“I wish this also for the country — love and unity even in the face of disagreement. We will need that in coming times.”
After Kennedy joined Trump on stage at an Arizona rally to throw his support behind the former president, Hines was the one who was attacked by critics.
“And yet he endorsed a lunatic determined to take our country down and prop up only himself,” someone responded. “Do better.”
“You will have to live with the ever lasting shame of enabling your very mentally ill husband putting the future of our country at risk and now allowing him to endorse the likewise demented lunatic he was installed to help win in the first place,” another added.
Hines was lambasted by “West Wing” star Bradley Whitford for not condemning her husband after he endorsed Trump.
“Hey @CherylHines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights,” Whitford tweeted the day after the rally.
Hey @CherylHines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights. Gutsy. Great example for the kids. Profile in courage. https://t.co/DrhXY3npcF
— Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) August 24, 2024
“Gutsy. Great example for the kids. Profile in courage,” he added.
Kennedy Jr. clapped back at Whitford, calling his response a “template for bullying” after pointing out that Hines does not support Trump.
“I had to suppress some strong feelings about that,” Kennedy told TMZ. “You know, it is a template for bullying.”
“Here you have a guy, instead of challenging me, he’s attacking my wife. Who would do that?” He added.
“What kind of person, what kind of man would do that? Why wouldn’t he talk to me directly?”
He said that Hines was present at a meeting between himself and Trump after the failed assassination attempt on the former president in July.
“She urged me to do that, and she did that out of compassion,” Kennedy Jr. stated. “It was an emotional night for our country. It was an emotional night for everyone, and she made the right judgment.”
He noted that Hines is a “lifelong Democrat” and wouldn’t have “imagined” that he would endorse Trump.
“She’s a lifelong Democrat, and the idea of me supporting Donald Trump as president is something that she would have never imagined, that she never wanted in her life,” Kennedy Jr. noted.
“That is, I think, causing her a lot of discomfort,” he added. “And, you know, I’m very grateful to her.”