Bill Maher Makes Bold Claim About Bari Weiss’ CBS News Takeover
What To Know
- Bill Maher discussed Bari Weiss’ recent appointment as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
- Maher praised Weiss for bringing a fairer perspective to CBS News.
- Weiss took over CBS News in October 2025 following Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount Global, leading to significant changes.
Bill Maher made a bold claim about Bari Weiss after she took over as the editor-in-chief of CBS News.
During an interview with Vanity Fair published on July 23, the Real Time With Bill Maher host, 70, spoke on a wide range of topics — including something Weiss told him about her reception by staffers at CBS.
Weiss took over as editor-in-chief in October 2025, after Skydance Media took over Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS and her digital media company, The Free Press.
Recently, Maher said he had dinner with Weiss, and he asked about how CBS staff members treated her. “I was curious to just ask her, ‘What’s it like going to work every day there? Are they putting Kick Me signs on your back?’” he explained.
Maher also said that according to Weiss, critics at CBS are “too cowardly” to say anything negative to her face. When asked if there were folks at CBS who supported her leadership, Weiss told Maher that “not everyone at the network is crazy.” In fact, she claimed that “some feel liberated,” per Vanity Fair.
In November, Maher referred to Weiss as “my girl” during an episode of his Club Random podcast.
“You know, I find it very frustrating that I cannot get the full story anywhere in the old media,” Maher told his guest, President Donald Trump‘s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. “It’s very, I mean, I love the new Free Press. My girl, Bari Weiss, who started that and now she runs CBS. You know, you’re seeing a change there that’s more fair.”
Weiss’ CBS News takeover resulted in a major 60 Minutes shake-up — including the firings of Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega. Additionally, several producers and other members of leadership (such as Tanya Simon, Draggan Mihailovich, Matthew Polevoy, and Henry Schuster) have exited the TV news magazine.
Real Time is currently on a summer hiatus, but will return on Friday, July 31.
Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays at 10/9c, HBO
Conversation48 Comments
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S
I first saw Bari on Bill's HBO show. She was all opinions, no knowledge or self-awareness. Just like Bill.
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D
Objectivity doesn't require self awareness
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S
Right, you tune in to the show b/c the host has no knowledge or self-awareness? What does that say about you
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S
Sue obviously you are a hater!!!!! To say Bill Maher has no knowledge or self awareness shows you have never watched his shows! Bill went to Cornell and he is brilliant! He is a history buff and knows everything about everything! He is very self aware and he criticizes both side of the isle! You must be either far left or far right and don’t like his middle of the road politics!
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E
That may have been true a few years ago. Something has changed with Bill. He certainly is less "self aware" these days and definitely is a lot more thin skinned. I was a fan for a very long time, dating back to his politically incorrect days. Not anymore. He's changed and it's noticeable to many but himself.
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T
That's funny. Bill Maher is "all opinions?" You must not know what facts are, then. Just like most of America
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S
I'm surprised with Maher's comments not only with Weiss but Vance and how he could vote for another incompetent. Weiss says they are all "cowards". Pelley told her exactly what he thought and for good reasons.He just told the truth like everyone else who got whacked. Maher says now the coverage is "more fair". Huh Bill? Fair being telling reporters to not report their stories with quite all the facts so the Right can look a little better than what they actually are? Maher is becoming more like Graham. A guy who said he'd had enough and then sided with the dark side. C'mon Bill. Darth Vader is presently running CBS and maybe if the merger eventually goes through HBO might just feel the heat of the light saber. Be smarter so maybe the Galaxy can be saved.
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P
Agreed ,Maher is all done in my mind,
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S
I will continue to watch the show. Can't be too angry with someone who may have a different viewpoint and he is entertaining. I say let all of them talk so we know what's really on their minds. I was however surprised at how easily bamboozled Maher was with the infamous dinner with Trump. Telling his audience " he's really not such a bad guy". I was wondering then maybe not as smart as I thought. Weiss saying the staff are cowards not saying anything to her face is just not true. Scott Pelley said a lot to her face and look what happened. These people telling half of a story is just who they are. Maher siding with Weiss means we have a bigger problem in this country than we thought.
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A
He wasn't entertaining before I stopped watching a few years ago. He got to the point where he'd chastise the audience for not laughing at his jokes, blaming it on them being "too woke" instead of considering that maybe the jokes just weren't funny.
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S
I think he is entertaining and many others feel the same way. It's ok to not agree with everything a talk show host or a comedian says. He has guests on that present some interesting points of views on many subjects and that's why I watch. Once in awhile a joke bombs and he lets the audience know it. C'mon. Doesn't happen every show. We can disagree but we listen to both sides. Welcome to America. It's what "Real Time" is all about. Kind of what we should be doing more of but haven't for awhile now.
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K
Maher is a total republican now, I stopped watching his show several months ago.
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D
Always was. Maher plays a "liberal" on tv to make their arguments look weak and stupid.
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B
Except the part where he constantly criticizes the Republicans and in particular the President on every episode?
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M
Bari Weiss is Trump's Hans Fritzsche.
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A
Bill Maher cozied up to the right and Trump long ago out of fear of losing his show and being canceled He's all about self preservation and the more money he has acquired over the years, the more he has embraced conservative values. He's a hypocrite and a coward. As stated before, Bill has no self reflection and is a huge Know-It-All. He is his own biggest fan and frankly as a comedian, he has never really been all that funny.
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S
buck fill maher .... this more proof he's dead to me
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R
Bill started licking the boots of you know who long time ago. One thing for sure. He is crazy.
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S
Crazy because he hates YOUR KIND???? Can’t blame him for being honest!
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G
Bury Weiss is Bibi Nutty-yahoo's mouthpiece.
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B
Maher sold out just like Bezos and Zuckerberg did to protect their obnoxious yachts. All about grifting.
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J
Every time I see a pic or headline about Maher I think of his 'acting' career. A couple episodes of Murder, She Wrote, among other. I guess he realized his acting career was going nowhere, so he went into the 'talking heads' business??
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S
Jena did you ever have a job then moved on??? Everyone else including Bill has too!
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F
He was only on one episode, also featuring Bryan Cranston. And your inaccurate recollection doesn't negate him stating the truth. If you're willing to lie about this, what else are you lying about?
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J
If you're referring to Murder, She Wrote, Maher was definitely in more than one episode. I specifically recall him being in at least two episodes-- and who knows what other TV shows he was in. Why would I want to lie about that, what would be the point???? smh
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M
John Oliver doesn't have as much pucker to his lips that Maher seems to have for the overlords.
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B
👎🏻
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B
He must be sleeping with her
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F
She's way too old for him, he only is interested in "women" under the age of 25.
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S
The fact liberal Maher and lesbian Weiss are accused of being too conservative shows how progressives and the mainstream media are now way, way out in left field. They're the ones who've shifted, not Maher or Weiss.
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D
You fell for it.
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N
Weiss and Maher share a strong bond over: extreme support for Israel and extreme Islamophobia. Other than that there won't be much in common.
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S
Can’t blame them! Israel is the only normal country in the Middle East and it’s not Islamophobia when everything you say about Muslims is on point!
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F
The entire region would be better off if Israel was in charge. Much higher quality of life and standard of living for everyone, women will actually have rights, no gays will be thrown off rooftops. Israel deserves the entire region. Look at how the average Israeli lives compared to the average citizen in any other theocracy in the region.
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K
A balance has been needed for a long time. The right has been misrepresented and silenced way to long. Hopefully some dialogue can happen during this format of programming.
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S
Been misrepresented? How exactly? We have a guy in power who keeps saying"I won three times" when he didn't. Everything is great! War is really over and we won among many other nontruths. C'mon. Right has not been misrepresented. Everything reported the last ten years is all true. The Right just want to twist truth like a pretzel and call it fair and balanced. Some have been fooled by that nonsense of an argument but not all of us.
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F
The fact that no MSM will call men who only identify as women "men". They always call them women, even say "female" most of the time now. They lie right to our faces about that.
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A
Why would they call them men if they're referring to people by gender?
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S
The whole thing is a little confusing for many including MSM. Just trying to be respectful of those who identify with a certain gender. There are no black and white answers concerning this topic. MSM just treading lightly like most of us on a topic many of us are still trying to understand what is true and what is being disrespectful to those who want to be seen a certain way. Very confusing to say the very least.
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A
She's withholding stories while encouraging people to report claims that haven't been fully vetted or can't be verified if they portray Republicans in a more favorable light than the evidence supports. That's not journalism; it's propaganda.
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C
Legacy hacks like Scott Pelley needed to be flushed out of the news ecosystem for a while now; credit to Bari for doing the job and to Bill for acknowledging it.
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G
Yes, Thank God that all the actual journalists are being fired and Trump is getting a new mouthpiece for the propoganda, in exchange for whatever he is giving Oracle. How did they take all your critical thinking skills, or did you maybe just not have any to begin with?
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C
Critical thinking skills are what enable me to recognize that Scott Pelley was a reader-of-words and not an "actual journalist."
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D
"Editorialists" and "opinion commentators" aren't journalists either.
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S
So reporters like Pelley who take a stand and say they want their stories to be accurate and truthful need to be "flushed out", right? The Right's argument for Bari and others like her "doing the job" is just laughable frankly. Don't tell the whole truth because Bari and the gang doesn't want anyone with common sense to know the entire story including the dirty little secrets, right? Wrong. So wrong. What Bill acknowledged was very disappointing because he should know better.
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M
Could not agree more.....Love CBS Now
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D
= "Derp".
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P
Well that makes 5 ,hopefully the ratings continue to slide
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