Talk show host Bill Maher argued during Monday’s episode of his “Club Random” podcast that the progressive left is inadvertently building the modern right wing by alienating former allies until they feel forced to “switch sides.”
Maher sat down with Dr. Debra Soh, a Canadian sex researcher and neuroscientist. Soh, the author of The End of Gender, has become a polarizing figure in liberal circles for her critiques of gender ideology and her warnings regarding medical transitions for minors.
“The science denial is so bad in terms of even like pure biology you would think would be acceptable and should not be controversial,” Soh told Maher. “I don’t know that we’re ever going to get back from that.”
Maher expressed disbelief at how a “straight-arrow” academic like Soh became a pariah among progressives. “For them, you’re just some sort of right-winger,” Maher said.
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“Because I’m saying that girls shouldn’t be cutting off their breasts,” Soh replied, characterizing her stance as basic common sense.
Maher used the exchange to pivot to a broader critique of modern Democratic identity politics. He argued that the “woke” wing of the party had effectively gifted some of their most influential “liberal heroes” to the conservative movement.
“I’ve said this before—they’ve driven a lot of people like Joe Rogan and Elon Musk… people who are not conservative people, who were actually liberal heroes for a long time, they’ve driven them into the conservative side,” Maher said. “Because they were so unacceptably not ‘super woke’ just because they wouldn’t go along with the bulls—.”
Despite frequently aligning with conservative critiques of “cancel culture,” Maher maintained that he refuses to adopt the “right-winger” label himself.
“But you know what? You’re not going to stop me from calling you out when you’re crazy,” Maher declared. “Because there is a lot of crazy. Ask Donald Trump. It got him elected.”
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Soh argued that the progressive left employs a specific tactic: vilifying experts who hold traditional views to categorize them as “crazy” and dismiss their research. Maher agreed, describing a “game” played by liberal media outlets. He argued that when legacy media refuses to platform certain experts, those individuals are forced to go on conservative channels. Once they appear on those networks, the far-left uses those appearances as “proof” that the experts were right-wing all along.
“I don’t believe women have penises,” Soh quipped, mocking the idea that such a statement is considered “beyond the pale” in mainstream media circles.
Soh noted that she has found a more “open-minded” reception in right-leaning spaces. “I have to say, I’m so grateful for conservative media,” she said. “They know we don’t agree about everything, but they’ve always been very open-minded to me and very kind to me.”
When Maher asked if she had noticed this same ideological divide in her personal social life, Soh confirmed the phenomenon. “Oh yeah,” she replied, suggesting the political “sorting” of Americans extends far beyond the television screen.
