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Kelly continued by reminding Maher that similar smears were hurled at former GOP candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney. She highlighted how McCain was labeled a racist, despite his history of adopting a daughter from Bangladesh, and how Romney was branded a sexist over his now-infamous “binders full of women” comment.
As the conversation heated up, Maher briefly switched gears, attempting to challenge Trump’s record on the economy. He asserted that the economy under President Biden has improved, with stock markets hitting record highs and wages increasing. However, Kelly wasn’t about to let Maher off the hook.
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“Not as high as it was under Trump,” she quickly retorted, highlighting that Trump presided over a booming economy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Maher, in an attempt to undermine Trump’s economic success, credited former President Barack Obama with laying the groundwork for the economic growth seen during Trump’s presidency. Kelly wasn’t buying it.
“So Trump has Obama to thank for his economy, but Biden can’t thank Trump for anything?” she shot back, exposing the selective crediting game often played by Democrats.
Maher, perhaps sensing that Kelly was on the offensive, pivoted once more—this time, back to Trump’s alleged authoritarian tendencies. He drew comparisons between Trump and the dictators of World War II, implying that Trump’s second term could plunge the U.S. into an era of fascism.
Kelly then turned the tables on Maher, arguing that it was Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who were acting more like fascists. She accused the Biden administration of using the Department of Justice to target their political rival, Donald Trump, and of flouting the rule of law when it came to major policy decisions like student loan forgiveness and rent abatement.
“Joe Biden has flouted the law when it comes to these student loan giveaway programs,” Kelly stated, referencing the Supreme Court’s ruling against Biden’s student loan forgiveness initiative. She went on to accuse the administration of openly disregarding Supreme Court opinions, saying, “He did it with respect to rent abatement programs, the same exact thing.”
Kelly further pointed to Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it a disaster that projected weakness on the global stage, emboldening leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Putin did not invade Ukraine until Biden took over,” Kelly said, asserting that Trump’s foreign policy kept adversaries in check through unpredictability and strength.
The debate reached its peak when Maher compared Trump’s first term to the early years of Adolf Hitler’s rule, suggesting that Trump’s more dangerous tendencies could emerge in a potential second term. Kelly, visibly unimpressed by the comparison, quickly dismantled the argument.
“Oh, I see; he hid his Hitlerism the first four years and is going to come out in full force the second four years,” she mocked, calling out the absurdity of Maher’s comparison.
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Maher continued to insist that Trump had attempted “dictatorial fascist things,” but Kelly wasn’t buying it. She pointed out that during his presidency, Trump did not use the Department of Justice to go after political rivals—something she accused Biden and Harris of doing.
“You want to talk fascism? That’s fascist,” she declared.
The debate ended with Maher acknowledging that history may not look kindly on Kelly’s defense of Trump, but the former Fox News anchor left the conversation standing firm in her belief that Trump’s presidency was far from the fascist nightmare his critics make it out to be.
For Kelly, this was just another example of the media’s long-standing tradition of smearing Republican candidates. But as the 2024 election approaches, it’s clear she won’t let those narratives go unchallenged.
