Bill Maher suggests changes to debate format

Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher shared his suggestions for future presidential debates on his show “Real Time with Bill Maher” ahead of Wednesday’s fourth Republican primary debate.

Maher provided his suggestions to his Friday guests, including conservative commentator Dave Rubin and Democratic strategist James Carville, in the wake of a showdown between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last week. The lawmakers talked over one another throughout much of the debate.

“Let me ask you one last question about this debate and all debates. Like the way we do debates, could I just, a few recommendations: One, cut the mic of whoever is not supposed to be talking,” Maher said. “This yelling, you know, it turns into, ‘I can’t stop talking first because that will look weak and so I will just keep talking, if you stop talking first, you’re the weak one.’”

“That’s what the debate is,” he continued.

In the third GOP debate, the White House hopefuls attacked one another over foreign policy but it remained relatively orderly compared with previous meetings among the candidates.

Maher also suggested that moderators need to implement real-time fact-checking for the debates, both for the sake of the candidates and the viewers at home.

“How about in-real-time fact checks because what I really hated about this debate was that it just makes us look like we’re two completely different countries, that we live in two different universes, red state, blue state, with each with their own facts,” Maher said referencing the DeSantis-Newsom debate.

Maher said as it stands, each candidate presents their facts, and it’s left up to the viewers to look further into each issue on their own.

“In football we do it. We stop the game, and we look at the replay and we’ll see what really happened,” Maher said about the need to pause and evaluate the facts, to which the audience responded with applause and cheers

The fourth debate, moderated by Elizabeth Vargas, Megyn Kelly and Eliana Johnson, is airing on The Hill’s sister organization NewsNation.