HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher might go where UC Berkeley couldn’t or wouldn’t: The talk show host said on tonight’s episode that Real Time is planning to book right-wing Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos.
“They protested someone who I think we’ve booked on the show,” Maher said during tonight’s panel discussion about thsi week’s protests at Berkeley. “I guess we’ll be putting on extra security.”
He added: “I’ve been a longtime critic of colleges shutting people up. Free speech should be something we own.”
The university’s administration canceled Yiannopoulos’ planned February 1 speech after the protest turned violent, with shattered windows, smoke bombs and fire.
Maher didn’t say when Yiannopoulos would appear. The UK-born writer is not scheduled for next week’s show.
Yiannopoulos has drawn widespread condemnation for his right-wing provocations. He was banned from Twitter for his role in the barrage of racist and sexist tweets against Saturday Night Live actress Leslie Jones following her performance in Ghostbusters.
“He’s a provocateur,” Maher said of Yiannopoulos. “He’s been thrown off Twitter — that’s how bad he is.”