Bill Maher Asks Why ‘No Kings’ Protests Appeared Largely White

On the Oct. 24 episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” Bill Maher raised questions about the racial makeup of the nationwide “No Kings” protests against former President Donald Trump, citing reporting from The Baltimore Sun that photographers struggled to find Black demonstrators among the large crowds.

“What do you make of that?” Maher asked panelist Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee chair. “It was very white… The paper there said, we struggled to find a picture of Black people in this march.”

Steele deflected the focus on race, arguing the point risked distracting from the movement’s core message. “That is a distraction for me to go down that road,” he said, adding that the demonstrations should be viewed separately from longer-running political tensions between Democrats and Black voters.

He pointed to turnout as noteworthy: “In the first version of that, five million Americans showed up; this version, seven-plus million — that’s a trend line that you pay attention to.”

Maher later suggested concerns about surveillance or professional fallout could help explain lower Black participation. “Maybe when I go into work, I’m not going to be welcome there,” he said. “And I think Black folks have a greater understanding of this… which is why they might not have shown up.”

Organized in response to fears about democratic backsliding under Trump, the “No Kings” demonstrations drew millions across the country, according to organizers. Maher’s remarks added a new dimension to the conversation, spotlighting questions of representation and risk within contemporary protest movements.