Bill Maher is facing criticism for his use of a racial slur during a discussion with a Republican senator on his HBO talk show Friday night.
Maher was speaking with Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska during a segment of his “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Sasse joked that he would like to have Maher visit Nebraska and work in the fields, which prompted Maher to use a slur in a joke that he was a house slave.
The comedian immediately waved off audience groans.
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Activists including the Rev. Al Sharpton quickly criticized Maher and it remained a top-ranked topic on Twitter on Saturday morning.
Sasse wrote Saturday that he wished he had immediately criticized Maher for using the term.
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Maher’s publicists did not respond to an email seeking comment.
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