Jenna Ellis, the virulently anti-LGBTQ Trump adviser who has called HIV “God’s moral law” and the Stonewall Monument a “celebration of sin,” appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher to toot Trump’s talking points about the election being stolen.
Ellis ignored Maher’s request that there be no talking points from the outset, asserting, “What all Americans should be concerned about is that every legal vote should be counted fairly and accurately.”
“Right away you used a talking point there, the legal vote. No one is contesting the idea that we are not wanting to count legal votes,” Maher pointed out.
Ellis then spewed a bunch of nonsense about ballots from dead people and other allegations of fraud that have been disproven.
Maher then asked about a Trump moment earlier in the day in which the president appeared to shift his tone, suggesting there might be a new administration that would be dealing with COVID.
Trump seems to be on the cusp of saying “the Biden administration,” but catches himself and says “time will tell” pic.twitter.com/6QaZV9TFOq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 13, 2020
Asked if it was a different tone from Trump than the one he used while campaigning, Ellis replied, “I don’t think so at all. … He is wanting to make sure not for his own election but for every future election that we know that we have free and fair elections in this country.”
“We do know that,” Maher interjected.
“We have evidence,” Ellis claimed. “We have lawsuits going on, we have a recount, like in Georgia, it’s actually a mandatory recount.”
“Your lawsuits are being laughed out of court,” replied Maher. “I mean, I’m sorry, I don’t want to make this a contentious interview. I’m just trying to present what is the truth. What’s going on in the courts. And also in your own administration.”
Maher then pointed out that the an agency in the Department of Homeland Security announced that it was “the most secure election in history” with “no evidence of fraud.”
Ellis than launched into a tirade about the “Russian collusion hoax” and the “deep state” and how the Trump administration has “prevailed” on all those things.
“Where have you prevailed in court?” asked Maher.
Ellis insisted the Trump campaign had prevailed in Pennsylvania to a chorus of “no you haven’t”s from Maher. Maher then heated up over Ellis’s claim that Republicans need “meaningful access” to the counting of the ballots.
Maher then mocked a Trump campaign worker who had told a judge in Philadelphia that there was a “non-zero” number of Trump observers in the room.
Maher laughed at the language: “That’s gotta be a new one for Washington, meaning there are people in the room.”
The judge agreed with Maher, asking the Trumpists “What’s your problem?”
Maher then asked about Trump’s assertion, “The only way I lose, is it’s rigged.”
“OF course we can accept that we might have lost,” said Ellis, repeating her nonsense about counting legal votes.
“There’s always a winner and loser in every election in the United States of America,” said Ellis.
“Yeah, and until this one, the loser always left,” said Maher.
“Aren’t you a little bit ashamed of how you’re denigrating the people who work so hard in the most difficult election in memory?” asked Maher. “They worked so hard to make this come out right.”
Ellis then asserted that if they are working hard they should assure that states are certifying an accurate count.
“They are,” insisted Maher, getting nowhere.
“You can’t say that! You can’t say that for sure, Bill!” Ellis insisted.
Maher then pointed out all the world leaders, including the Chinese, who have congratulated Biden, prompting Ellis to create a new nickname, “Beijing Biden.”
“I walked right into that one, didn’t I” said an exasperated Maher.