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Comedian Bill Maher pointed to Vice President JD Vance’s recent remarks from a trip to Hungary during Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” suggesting the idea of Western civilization is real and worth defending.
“Another thing JD Vance said is, ‘We will stand with you for Western civilization,’” Maher began, referencing comments the vice president made in support of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán while framing his government as a defender of Western civilization.
Maher, speaking with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff and author Douglas Murray, said Orbán “goes too far” in some respects but added, “I think you and I both believe there is such a thing as Western civilization.”
“Remember after 9/11, if you said ‘clash of civilizations,’ it was the beginning of that wokeness where… ‘Oh, don’t say that, that’s Islamophobia,’” Maher said.
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Bill Maher on “Real Time.” (Screenshot/HBO)
“No, it was a clash of civilizations — the civilizations are very different and ours is better.”
The audience erupted into applause, after which Maher broadened his point.
“And if you’re not clapping, spend a week in a Muslim capital, you wouldn’t last — especially as a woman,” he said.
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Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AP)
Maher’s remarks largely referred to Vance’s visit to the central European nation in effort to help push Orbán closer to victory as Hungarians head to the polls this Sunday.
Orbán, a Trump ally and the longest-serving European Union leader, is currently trailing in the polls, according to the Associated Press.
Leading into the discussion, Maher criticized Orbán’s ties to Russia and questioned the push for his re-election.
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Vice President JD Vance laughs at the sound of President Donald Trump calling in as he was delivering remarks at a Day of Friendship event with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at MTK Sportpark in Budapest, Hungary, on April 7, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
“Russia is basically running his campaign. Russia is campaigning for him to win, and we’re campaigning for him to win. We’re working with Russia on the same guy… to win an election?” he asked.
“I just don’t quite get that.”
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Murray, meanwhile, clarified some of the arguably positive measures Orbán has taken, including closing off his country’s borders to mass migration that other EU nations have welcomed.
He also voiced his disagreement with Orbán’s ties to Russia, which he partially attributed to Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil and gas.
