HBO's Bill Maher William (Bill) MaherBill Maher to Joy Reid: 'Very nervous' about Biden's chances after GOP convention Bill Maher revives QAnon gag: 'I am Q' Oliver Stone, Bill Maher tangle on reliability of US intelligence on Russia: 'You think they're lying?' MORE drew boos on his show Friday night, with the live studio audience taking exception to the "Real Time" host mocking liberals for calling 2020 presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg Michael BloombergTop Democratic super PAC launches Florida ad blitz after Bloomberg donation The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Latest with the COVID-19 relief bill negotiations The Memo: 2020 is all about winning Florida MORE racist over his role as mayor in New York City's stop-and-frisk policy.

"Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE won Iowa and New Hampshire. He’s also leading in the national polls, which means we have a new front-runner," Maher said in his opening monologue. "Michael Bloomberg? What the f---?"

"Well, Bloomberg must be the front-runner because liberals are calling him a racist," Maher added to a chorus of boos from the audience in Los Angeles.

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"Keep booing. That’s how you lost the last election," Maher said with a smirk.

The former mayor came under fire primarily from the left earlier this week after an audio clip from 2015 was unearthed in which Bloomberg defended the stop-and-frisk policy in New York City, stating, "Ninety-five percent of your murders — murderers and murder victims — fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. They are male, minorities, 16 to 25."

"That’s true in New York. It’s true in virtually every city in America. And that’s where the real crime is. You’ve got to get the guns out of the hands of the people that are getting killed," Bloomberg said in February 2015 at the Aspen Institute.

"People say, 'Oh my God. You are arresting kids for marijuana who are all minorities.' Yes, that’s true. Why? Because we put all the cops in the minority neighborhoods. Yes, that’s true. Why'd we do it? Because that’s where all the crime is. And the way you should get the guns out of the kids' hands is throw them against the wall and frisk them," Bloomberg added at the time.

Maher conceded that the billionaire businessman does have some "blind spots" but added that he would "happily vote for him if he is the winning bidder."

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"Bloomberg does have some blind spots, I’m not going to lie about that. He’s not too good on pot either," Maher said to more boos.

"But hey, I will happily vote for him if he is the winning bidder," Maher said, adding that President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE "loves to mock Bloomberg for being short, but he’s not short on cash. He has got ads everywhere. Have you seen this? They’re on Facebook. They’re on YouTube. They’re on television. I saw one on Pornhub. The title was 'Rich Daddy Pays for It.'"

Bloomberg has been surging in national polls, leapfrogging Democratic rivals such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenBiden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon MORE (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Bogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration Overnight Defense: Woodward book causes new firestorm | Book says Trump lashed out at generals, told Woodward about secret weapons system | US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq MORE to land in third place behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Biden says Ginsburg successor should be picked by candidate who wins on Nov. 3 MORE in the RealClearPolitics polling index.