Bob Costas Says If Biden’s ‘Hubris’ Won’t Let Him Step Aside Then He Must ‘Be Shown The Door’ By Dems

Emmy-winning sportscaster and journalist Bob Costas believes that if President Joe Biden can’t put aside his “hubris” and step away as the Democratic nominee for 2024, then he needs to be “shown the door” by the party, or else the American people will suffer.

The legendary sportscaster was joined by author and Atlantic writer Caitlin Flanagan as guests on the most recent episode of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher Friday, during which they discussed among other topics the damning report from Special Counsel Robert Hur that has, according to Democrat strategist Paul Begala and CNN’s Audie Cornish, sent the Biden camp into a bed-wetting sleeplessness and panic over the report’s conclusions about the president and his competence and fitness.

Maher brought up the topic by mentioning how he’s previously editorialized about “Ruth Bader Biden” having “stayed too long,” and mentioned recent gaffes and the fact that Biden is skipping the Super Bowl interview (something that had Jake Tapper asking what Biden’s “afraid of” this week), but then criticizing the report for noting those mental acuity issues.

Maher said that Republicans are using the report “brilliantly” to continue raising those issues that voters have consistently shown trouble them in poll after poll.

Costas pointed out that just because Fox News and Republicans take advantage of that, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

“When it comes to Biden, this is like the truth that no one, until very recently wants to say out loud,” said Costas. “But my friends will tell you, I’ve been saying it for four years. This is Emperor’s New Clothes stuff.”

“Joe Biden should have run on a firm promise that he would be a one term president. The only reason he is president is that he’s not Donald Trump,” Costas said. “Then the Dems could have gotten a lot of people up in the bullpen, and they could have sorted through those people.”

Costas then laid it out with a hard line.

“If Biden’s hubris is such that he doesn’t understand the best interests of his party and more important, his country, then he has to be shown the door.” he stated as the crowd applauded. “Period.”

Maher noted that while Bided did not explicitly state he would only serve one term, it seemed heavily implied, and added that there’s still time to replace Biden on the ticket, even up to the day before the election.

COSTAS: But just. Just because the Republicans and Fox News and all the tributaries that come off of that will overstate it, turn a blind out of the fact that Trump, who has always been an unprincipled and reprehensible person, is now a ranting lunatic who has mental gaffes of his own.

So it’s it’s a selective truth, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Right?

And when it comes to Biden, this is like the truth that no one, until very recently wants to say out loud. But my friends will tell you, I’ve been saying it for four years. This is Emperor’s New Clothes stuff.

Joe Biden should have run on a firm promise that he would be a one term president. The only reason he is president is that he’s not Donald Trump. Then the Dems could have gotten a lot of people up in the bullpen, and they could have sorted through those people.

If Biden’s hubris is such that he doesn’t understand the best interests of his party and more important, his country, then he has to be shown the door. Period.

Because if Trump is a threat to democracy, and in many ways he is, so too are the Dems who are in danger of being as feckless as the Republicans have long been shameless. If they’re going to send this guy out there, if Trump is a monster, and in many ways he is, you’re going to send this guy out to slay the dragon? I don’t think so.

MAHER: And by the way, he did not run on a promise. He did not run on a promise not to run again, but he did run on a big hint. He said, I see myself as a bridge.

COSTAS: Right?

MAHER: That’s collapsing.

COSTAS: Yeah.

MAHER: No, but I see myself as a bridge. I read that as one term. Okay. And I guess the question now is, is it too late? And I don’t think it is, because I still think you can do it at the convention. I don’t — and people have said to me, ‘oh, that’s ridiculous they’ll look like’ — they’ll look like nothing. Nobody gives a fuck what you do at the convention.

MAHER: They’d be thrilled if they did it the day before the election. You could switch him out at the convention.

COSTAS: You could.

MAHER: And he could say, well, look, you know, I’ve had a health issue or whatever I want to spend more…

FLANAGAN: he – because he didn’t really have to run much in the primaries. He doesn’t have delegates to give to someone else that the party would come together and say.

MAHER: Well, if a guy says, I can’t run, then you have to do it, then it has to be somebody else, that it’s an open convention. We’ve had open conventions many times.

COSTAS: Different scenario a long time ago. But when Johnson in March, after a close primary with Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire, when Johnson said, I’m not going to run for another term, then Humphrey stepped up.

MAHER: Yes,.

COSTAS: RFK, a tragedy ensued. He stepped up. There’s plenty of time.

MAHER: Yes. They make it up as they go along anyway, it’s politics.

Watch the clip above via Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO.