Bill Maher and actor-comedian David Cross clashed over transgender children and Democratic electoral politics during a heated exchange on Mr. Maher’s Club Random podcast released Monday.
The dispute began with a discussion of transgender women competing in female sports before Mr. Cross mentioned that his 9-year-old daughter has transgender friends in her third-grade class, which intensified the debate.
Mr. Cross’ disclosure that one of his daughter’s friends had transitioned as early as age 3 drew a sharp response.
“Three? Well, sure … who can believe a 3-year-old? Kids are confused,” Mr. Maher said.
Mr. Maher argued that children that age are not old enough to determine their gender, recalling a conversation with a woman who said that if she had grown up today behaving as she did as a self-described tomboy, she might have been pushed toward a transition. Mr. Cross pushed back, saying no one was doing that to the woman in question. “Somebody is doing something because 8- or 9-year-olds can’t do anything on their own,” Mr. Maher replied.
Separately, Mr. Maher took aim at what he called the “looney left” for defending positions he views as politically damaging, saying such attitudes contributed to Democratic losses.
Mr. Cross, who acknowledged living in a “bubble,” said he wanted to shield his daughter from the negativity of the outside world. Mr. Maher closed the exchange with a pointed remark: “Good luck with President Vance. As I always say to my woke friends, we voted for the same person. You’re just why she lost.”
Mr. Cross appeared stunned, prompting Mr. Maher to repeat himself.
The exchange drew attention online as a window into the Democratic Party’s internal divisions over how to handle transgender issues ahead of future elections.
Despite the friction, the two said they did not want any lasting bad feelings between them and parted on friendly terms.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times’ AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times’ original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
