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Maher Confronts O’Reilly on Real Time, Challenges 23 Million View Claim

Coverage notes the figure bundles social clips across platforms, lacking independent ratings confirmation.

Overview

  • On the November 7 episode of HBO’s Real Time, Bill Maher and Bill O’Reilly engaged in a sharp exchange during a panel that also featured Rep. Jared Moskowitz.
  • Maher jabbed at O’Reilly’s current media standing with the line, “I’m still on the air and you’re not,” drawing laughter from the audience.
  • O’Reilly countered by asserting that a recent NewsNation town hall from the Kennedy Center drew 23 million viewers.
  • Maher responded that he would “check those facts,” signaling skepticism about the viewership claim.
  • Subsequent reporting highlighted that O’Reilly’s figure reflects aggregated social and clip views across platforms, with comparisons noting a separate NewsNation town hall averaged about 800,000 linear TV viewers, and no independent verification of the 23 million total has been presented.