Bill Maher Gives Verdict on Police After John Mellencamp Declares: ‘I Don’t Like Cops’
What To Know
- Bill Maher and John Mellencamp discussed their criticisms of police on the latest episode of the Club Random podcast.
- Maher argued that police often prioritize their own safety over public protection and suggested the profession attracts ‘bullies.’
- The conversation also touched on both Maher and Mellencamp’s past encounters with President Donald Trump.
Real Time host Bill Maher welcomed singer John Mellencamp onto the latest episode of his Club Random podcast, where the pair discussed the police and the kinds of people the job attracts.
The topic came up after Mellencamp declared, “I don’t like cops,” to which Maher responded, “That’s a broad brush to say you don’t like cops. You don’t want to live without them. Trust me, you don’t want to live without them.”
Mellencamp explained his position, saying that “one or two” cops together are fine, “But you get a whole bunch of them, and things get weird.”
“Well, that is part of it,” Maher responded. “I’ve done many pieces on my issues with the cops. I try to keep it fair and balanced, but here are my issues.”
The comedian said his big issue with the police is that, “Whenever there’s any trouble, their attitude is, ‘make sure we don’t die.’ Now, I get it, you don’t want to die. But it does say ‘protect and serve’ on the car, and that refers to us, not you. That ‘protect’ thing, that’s about us.”
Maher admitted it’s a “nerve-racking job” when dealing with “the dregs of society.” He added, “Anybody could have a gun, and sometimes they do. But the attitude can’t be, ‘Well, at the least prospect that I’m going to get hurt, we just completely empty our clips into this guy.'”
He went on to say that “Cops like getting scalps,” adding, “The problem with the cops is that it attracts the wrong kind of person, which is the kid who got stuffed into a locker in high school and knows, ‘Oh, you know what? You give me this badge, suddenly everyone is respecting me.'”
Maher concluded, “It attracts bullies, the same way the priesthood attracts pedophiles.”
Later in the interview, Mellencamp asked Maher about his interactions with President Donald Trump. Maher faced backlash last March after attending a White House dinner with the president. However, that wasn’t the first time he’d met Trump.
Maher said he first met Trump at a New York club in the 1990s and then again at a Playboy mansion party. He described him as “very cordial” and said his “power suit” made him stand out at the Playboy event.
Mellencamp, who has been critical of Trump in the past, revealed he met the president at a Super Bowl in the 80s. “He couldn’t have been nicer,” the singer said, revealing how Trump bought him popcorn and Cokes.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services