Bill Maher and Obama Speechwriter Throw Down Over Trans Issues: ‘You Want to Lose Every Election?’

Bill Maher and Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett threw down in a heated debate over trans issues on a recent episode of the latter’s show.

Maher joined Lovett on Pod Save America this week, and their discussion mainly focused on the future of the Democratic Party. Lovett, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama, brought up the debate over gender-affirming care for minors and Maher argued that if Democrats do not pivot on the issue, they will “lost every election.”

“The Democratic position is leave it up to parents, doctors. It’s not the government’s decision. That’s the Democratic position. What’s wrong with that position?” Lovett asked Maher.

“The Democratic position in this state has been that your kid can — the school has the right to hide it from the parents. That is something that is not going to go well with the average voter. And again, I’m not even a parent and I get it,” Maher argued.

The Real Time host acknowledged sex is far more “complicated” than President Donald Trump and other Republicans make it out to be, but he said he aligned with voters taking issue with transgender-related surgeries for minors.

“When you’re a kid, even a teenager, and you’re that confused about everything and you have no idea, and you’re upset for many other reasons. The idea that they put it — let me finish,” Maher said as Lovett looked ready to jump in.

“I’m not saying it,” Lovett said.

“I could see you were ready. I could see you pulling back the bow,” Maher said.

The comedian argued children can be more easily influenced. When he threw out the word “entrapment,” Lovett jumped in and Maher again asked if he could finish his point.

“Entrapment is when you suggest something to people that they weren’t ordinarily going to do. I used the example of after 9/11, the FBI got caught basically entrapping some people, which is they went to people — excuse me, I’m not done,” Maher said.

“You’re right. That was rude. That was rude. That was rude. They’ll finish. You’re explaining how being trans is like being recruited into Al Qaeda,” Lovett joked.

The speechwriter eventually compared the “entrapment” argument to past arguments being made against gay teachers for fear they would “groom” children. He also compared gender-affirming surgeries to heart surgeries.

“There are also really important surgeries that people get for their heart. And they go wrong and somebody dies and nobody says, we must stop the cardiologists. No one says we must stop the surgeons,” Lovett argued.

“That’s your analogy?” Maher asked.

“Can I finish? Is it my turn to talk?” Lovett asked.

He eventually asked Maher flat out if he supports banning “gender-affirming care for kids,” and Maher said Democrats will “lose every election” if they remain in the same place on trans issues.

“Just to leave it up to people and parents, then the kids and the doctors. You want the government to ban gender-affirming care for kids?” Lovett asked.

“You want to lose every election?” Maher said. “Just keep coming down on the side of parents coming in second, and a ‘who gets to decide what goes on with the kid’ contest.”

Watch above via Pod Save America.