A clash of the comedic Bills kicked off when Bill Burr disagreed with his contemporary's views on college students protesting Israel's assault on Gaza.
The Mandalorian actor appeared on Sunday's episode of Bill Maher's Club Random podcast where they discussed a range of topics, including the nationwide student action in support of Palestinians and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Burr slammed Maher's credentials on the issue and his support of Israel, who he said needed to "real hard-nosed decisions" after the militant arm of Palestinian political group, Hamas, launched a surprise attack on the country in October, killing 1,200 and taking around 250 hostages.
Israel has responded with an unrelenting military campaign in Gaza that has displaced millions of people and killed more than 35,000 according to UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
"I'm on the side of the kids," Burr said of the student protesters and then mocked Maher for saying "who's not for the kids," before the latter claimed he's "the one who's actually brave on this [issue]."
Burr then compared Maher to an average man playing fantasy football who thinks he's actually the coach of an NFL team.
"Stop talking like you're a general," Burr told him, and later said, "You're like that guy that has a fantasy football team and thinks he's a f****** GM. That's exactly what it is. Like, why am I f****** listening to you like you like you've done something? What have you done in Washington? Nothing."
Newsweek contacted Maher's representatives by email for comment.
The clip was shared to X, formerly Twitter, by comedian Corey Forrester, and went viral with almost 647,000 views.
"Bill Burr displaying once again that he's that dude," Forrester captioned the tweet.
The reaction to the men's conversation was divided in the replies.
"Burr is saying what we've all been thinking for three decades," replied @Metz4Real.
And @Juicy_J_713 added: "Honestly this is completely embarrassing by Bill Burr. Bill Maher savagely owns him here."
While @wayne_m_212 wrote: "'Being pro-Palestine is basically the same as being pro-Hamas'. Such a lazy argument many in the media are parroting."
During the fiery exchange, Maher accused the college protesters of "being in with" Hamas, which has been labeled a terrorist group by a number of governments, including the U.S.
Burr corrected Maher saying, "they were for the Palestinians," to which the podcast host replied, "well, it's sort of the same cause."
However, the coalition of groups at Columbia University in New York which sparked the college action has maintained its main objective is for a ceasefire in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach Palestinians.
"As a diverse group united by love and justice, we demand our voices be heard against the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. We've been horrified each day, watching children crying over the bodies of their slain parents, families without food to eat, and doctors operating without anesthesia. Our university is complicit in this violence and this is why we protest," it wrote on Instagram.
"We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand vigilant against non-students attempting to disrupt the solidarity being forged among students-Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, Black, and pro-Palestinian classmates and colleagues who represent the full diversity of our country."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
