{"id":47788,"date":"2026-04-11T16:51:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T16:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47788"},"modified":"2026-04-11T16:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T16:51:14","slug":"bill-maher-says-western-civilization-is-better-on-real-time-to-applause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47788","title":{"rendered":"Bill Maher says Western civilization is &#8216;better&#8217; on Real Time to applause"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Comedian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/bill-maher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bill Maher<\/a> pointed to Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/jd-vance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JD Vance<\/a>\u2019s recent remarks from a trip to Hungary during Friday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;Real Time,&#8221; suggesting the idea of Western civilization is real and worth defending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">&#8220;Another thing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-calls-vance-orban-hungary-event-kind-people\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JD Vance said is<\/a>, \u2018We will stand with you for Western civilization,\u2019&#8221; Maher began, referencing comments the vice president made in support of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n while framing his government as a defender of Western civilization.<\/p>\n<p>Maher, speaking with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff and author Douglas Murray, said Orb\u00e1n &#8220;goes too far&#8221; in some respects but added, &#8220;I think you and I both believe there is such a thing as Western civilization.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Remember after 9\/11, if you said \u2018clash of civilizations,\u2019 it was the beginning of that wokeness where\u2026 \u2018Oh, don\u2019t say that, that\u2019s Islamophobia,\u2019&#8221; Maher said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/rubio-blasts-world-without-borders-fantasy-warns-mass-migration-threatens-western-civilization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RUBIO BLASTS \u2018WORLD WITHOUT BORDERS\u2019 FANTASY, WARNS MASS MIGRATION THREATENS WESTERN CIVILIZATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/343\/192\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/686\/384\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/672\/378\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1344\/756\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/931\/523\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1862\/1046\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/720\/405\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1440\/810\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1200\/675\/bill-maher-christians-nigeria.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Bill Maher\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Bill Maher on &#8220;Real Time.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Screenshot\/HBO)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;No, it was a clash of civilizations \u2014 the civilizations are very different and ours is better.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The audience erupted into applause, after which Maher broadened his point.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And if you\u2019re not clapping, spend a week in a Muslim capital, you wouldn\u2019t last \u2014 especially as a woman,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/sen-mccormick-secretary-rubio-sets-course-natos-future-europe-listen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>SEN MCCORMICK: SECRETARY RUBIO SETS THE COURSE FOR NATO\u2019S FUTURE. WILL EUROPE LISTEN?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/343\/192\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/686\/384\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/672\/378\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1344\/756\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/931\/523\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1862\/1046\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/720\/405\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1440\/810\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/hungrary-viktor-orban.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaking at a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Budapest\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Hungary&#8217;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.<\/span> <span>(Alex Brandon\/Pool\/AP)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Maher&#8217;s remarks largely referred to Vance&#8217;s visit to the central European nation in effort to help push Orb\u00e1n closer to victory as Hungarians head to the polls this Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Orb\u00e1n, a Trump ally and the longest-serving European Union leader, is currently trailing in the polls, according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>Leading into the discussion, Maher criticized Orb\u00e1n&#8217;s ties to Russia and questioned the push for his re-election.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/trump-ally-orban-issues-scathing-letter-demanding-zelenskyy-change-ukraines-anti-hungarian-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>TRUMP ALLY ORBAN ISSUES SCATHING LETTER DEMANDING ZELENSKYY CHANGE UKRAINE&#8217;S &#8216;ANTI-HUNGARIAN POLICY&#8217;<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/jd-vance-hungary-donald-trump-call.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaking at MTK Sportpark in Budapest Hungary\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>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.<\/span> <span>(Jonathan Ernst\/Reuters)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Russia is basically running his campaign. Russia is campaigning for him to win, and we&#8217;re campaigning for him to win. We&#8217;re working with Russia on the same guy&#8230; to win an election?&#8221; he asked.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I just don&#8217;t quite get that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Murray, meanwhile, clarified some of the arguably positive measures Orb\u00e1n has taken, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/executive\/homeland-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">closing off his country&#8217;s borders<\/a> to mass migration that other EU nations have welcomed.<\/p>\n<p>He also voiced his disagreement with Orb\u00e1n&#8217;s ties to Russia, which he partially attributed to Hungary&#8217;s reliance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Russian oil and gas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/bill-maher-defends-western-civilization-real-time-citing-remarks-jd-vance\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Comedian Bill Maher pointed to Vice President JD Vance\u2019s recent remarks from a trip to Hungary during Friday&#8217;s&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}