Bill Maher Bashes Senator Dianne Feinstein, 90, for Still Working Despite Having Health Problems

Out with the old?

On Wednesday, September 6, Bill Maher was a guest on The Beat on MSNBC, where he spoke with reporter Ari Melber about his concern when it comes to elderly members of congress.

The duo particularly focused their conversation on California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein's health as she held up legislation for almost three months this year due to some issues. Just this week, the 91-year-old had forgotten she had ceded power of attorney to her daughter, and when she returned to the senate in May, she had forgotten she ever left.

Many people across party lines have called for Feinstein to step down, however, she has refused. Some people even claimed the calls for her to resign are rooted in sexism.

"It’s ridiculous," Maher said to Melber. "It has nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman. It's the fact that she thinks the coatrack is Barbara Stanwyck. And yes, it's a case-by-case basis, I always say, for age."

"But in this case, it's ridiculous. I mean, we went through the same thing. Remember Strom Thurmond? He was, like – how old was he? And was doddering and drooling," he added, referencing a former senator who served for 48 years before retiring in 2003 at age 99.

Melber then recalled working with Thurmond.

"He was in his 90s," Melber stated. "I was working as a Senate aide, and they used to wheel him in. And his hand would go up and you couldn't tell if it was up or down [while voting]. And the aide would be like, 'That's down.' I'm not joking."

"Yes, that's crazy," Maher responded.

As OK! previously reported, Feinstein has not been the only senator who recently caught some heat for their cognitive decline.

On Wednesday, August 30, Mitch McConnell, 81, had a concerning incident when being interviewed by reporters. He was asked if he planned to run for reelection in 2026, which he did not initially hear and had to ask the question to be repeated.

He then replied, "Oh, god. That's a ...." and began to look off into the distance. An aide then approached and said, "Did you hear the question, senator? Running for election in 2026?" to which McConnell replied, "Yes."

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