‘It’s Our Backyard!’: Bill Maher Cheers US-Led Coup in Venezuela in Unhinged Colonial Tirade

Pro-war liberal pundit Bill Maher endorsed the US-led coup in Venezuela with blatant neocolonial language: “This was the Monroe Doctrine! This is our backyard!”

By Ben Norton

Pro-war liberal pundit Bill Maher proudly endorsed the US-led right-wing coup in Venezuela using shockingly blatant neocolonial rhetoric: “This was the Monroe Doctrine! This is our backyard!”

Maher made these comments in a January 25 interview with his self-declared “frenemy,” ultra-conservative pundit Ann Coulter, who strongly supports Donald Trump, advances the far-right “white genocide” conspiracy, and pals around with white nationalists.

In the interview, Maher advanced the Russiagate conspiracy that Trump “is working with a foreign adversary.” Maher insisted that the United States is effectively at war with Russia, claiming “we didn’t win” the Cold War; “it’s still Russia.” And the liberal pundit claimed that “the president is a traitor who is in their camp.”

As an example of this, Maher pointed to the ongoing coup in Venezuela, where the US and its right-wing allies are trying to overthrow the leftist government of President Nicolás Maduro and replace him with an unelected opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, who hopes to implement neoliberal capitalist policies and privatize the oil-rich country’s state assets.

Maher proclaimed:

“Today, Venezuela — this is the front page of the New York Times — Venezuela, okay, they have a guy, an opposition leader who finally stood up, and we are backing him. And Russia warned us to back off because they’re backing the dictator. This was the Monroe Doctrine! This is our backyard! And Russia is now telling us to back off of what goes on in Venezuela, because they know they can? Because they’re so emboldened? That doesn’t bother you? You’re the patriot?”

Documenting Bill Maher’s Bigotry

The Grayzone previously produced a video documenting Bill Maher’s hateful right-wing views. You can watch it below: