Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher revealed that he will be in an upcoming documentary about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a right-wing political activist and cofounder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Maher argued that Kirk was often portrayed more harshly than his actual statements warranted, saying, “I said, yes, I’m giving them five minutes after my taping Friday night … and I told them, don’t expect me to be just saying, you know, hagiography about Charlie.
“I liked him as a person; I’m glad I talked to him,” Maher said on an episode of his Club Random podcast Monday. “I do not think he was a monster, and if you look at his statements, I’ve read the full statements.”
Kirk faced backlash from Democrats and left-wing activists for his controversial statements on issues including race, women, and the LGBTQ community. He also advocated a wide range of conservative positions, including opposition to abortion, gun control, DEI programs, and LGBTQ rights.
“Of course, because everybody is only interested in getting points for their team, they mischaracterized them,” Maher said. “But even when I read the full statement, which were accurately characterized, I still disagreed with them but it wasn’t what they presented.”
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While emphasizing that he did not agree with many of Kirk’s positions, Maher argued that some critics were a bit harsh. “Again, it’s always in the middle. It wasn’t as bad as they said, but I still disagreed,” he said.
“My little motto here is, everybody’s a monster till you talk to them,” Maher said.