Bill Maher opened the panel discussion on his show Friday night going off in defense of Chris Matthews after the longtime Hardball host left MSNBC amid controversy earlier this week.

Maher said he was not happy with MSNBC this week, calling cancel culture “a cancer on progressivism.”

He reviewed the recent Matthews controversies, from his comments comparing Bernie Sanders’ Nevada win to when France fell to the Nazis to the creepy comments he’s made about women over the years to the specific allegations from Laura Bassett about sexist and “belittling” comments Matthews made to her several years ago.

Regarding the exchange with Elizabeth Warren that Matthews got criticism for, Maher said, “This show is called Hardball!… This sounds like every question Chris has asked.”

Maher acknowledged that Matthews has “said some things that are kind of creepy to women,” but mocked Bassett’s recent piece about her interactions with Matthews and remarked, “Thank you, Rosa Parks.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Maher continued. “Do you understand why Democrats lose?”

The Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Flanagan said, “If every woman — if we are now empowered to take a flame to every mosquito, then we’ve become the thing we hate.”

As Flanagan mocked Bassett’s account, Maher dryly asked, “Is she a compliment victim or a compliment survivor?”

You can watch above, via HBO.

UPDATE — 3/7, 12:23 pm ET: Bassett responded to Maher Saturday with a blunt “fuck you”:

People are really outraged that a rich as hell 74-yr-old man had to retire after being called out for 20 years of objectifying women in the workplace? This is not about me, and if your inclination is to attack me, consider putting that energy into therapy or anger management. — Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 7, 2020

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