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Real Time: GOP congressman who calls border crisis a ‘myth’ on new episode

By Matt Moore

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) speaks during a news conference with House GOP leadership following the weekly Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol December 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The House is preparing to vote on legislation that would deny visa-free travel to anyone who has been in Iraq, Syria or any country with significant terror activity in the past five years and changes to the visa waiver program, which allows citizens from 38 countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) speaks during a news conference with House GOP leadership following the weekly Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol December 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The House is preparing to vote on legislation that would deny visa-free travel to anyone who has been in Iraq, Syria or any country with significant terror activity in the past five years and changes to the visa waiver program, which allows citizens from 38 countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /
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Real Time with Bill Maher will feature two politicians this week who have some very strong opinions on the major issues.

Fans will always tune in to Real Time with Bill Maher to hear the host’s thoughts on whatever is making headlines that week. There is a reason the show has been on for 17 seasons at this point after all. But Real Time is always that much better when the guests bring their own passionate opinions to the show.

That will definitely be the case this week just as it was last week. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter was the top-of-show interview and as usual, she and Maher had a lot to say to each other. Coulter was met with a round of boos by the audience when she was announced as the guest. And as you may have guessed the two didn’t do much to change each other’s mind on any issue.

Coulter seemed to applaud Trump’s lies and false statements. But on the topic of the border wall, she was critical of the president for failing to secure funding during the government shutdown. According to Coulter, the wall isn’t racist but instead a pro-labor position that liberals should support.

The border wall will likely remain a topic of conversation on this week’s episode of Real Time. So too will be the Mueller investigation and all things Russia. Here is the breakdown of the entire guest lineup for the Feb. 1 show.

Top-of-show

Republican Congressman Will Hurd of Texas will be the first guest to sit down with Bill Maher. Hurd has served as a representative since 2015.

Hurd narrowly won reelection in 2018 over Democratic challenger Gina Ortiz-Jones. The final margin was just over 1,100 votes in what was one of the closets races in the country.

On almost all issues, Hurd falls in line with the Republican Party and President Donald Trump. Where he differs the most is on the issue of immigration and more specifically the border wall. Representing Texas’ 23rd district means that Hurd is responsible for a large area along the U.S-Mexican border so he is well-informed on the issue.

Hurd has called Trump’s idea for a wall an outdated approach that would do little to actually secure the border. The congressman went on further to state that the so-called border crisis is a “myth.” Expect Maher to ask Hurd to expand on that idea and what a reasonable solution could be.

Mid-show interview

After Will Hurd, Bill Maher will interview New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The Democrat has held the mayor’s office since 2014, having won reelection in 2017 with over 66% percent of the votes.

de Blasio’s name has been mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential election. That field is already getting pretty crowded with politicians like Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, and Tulsi Gabbard announcing they are running. Maher may pressure de Blasio into commenting but don’t expect anything official coming from the appearance.

The panel

Peter Hamby is a political journalist who specializes in social media. After a stint as a correspondent with CNN, Hamby took a position overseeing news coverage for Snapchat. This will be Hamby’s second appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher. He could provide some valuable insight on the role of social media in elections and journalism.

Jennifer Rubin is a former lawyer turned journalist and blogger. She contributes to The Washington Post via the “Right Turn” blog. Fellow conservatives have attacked Rubin for her criticism of President Trump and the effect he has had on the Republican Party. She returns to Real Time for the second time.

Jon Meacham is a writer, editor, and presidential biographer. His 2018 book The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels was a New York Times bestseller. It uses past examples of despair and political divisions in U.S. history to offer insight on today’s political climate. Meacham can provide Maher with some historical context for where we are as a country in 2019.

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Real Time with Bill Maher airs Friday, Feb. 1 on HBO at 10:00 PM ET. It will look to continue building the early momentum of season 17 as Maher does his best to keep up with the rapid-fire news cycle. Check back in with Last Night On for all the highlights!

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