BILL Maher admitted that Russiagate was "reported erroneously" after years of discussing Donald Trump's relationship with Russia.
The typically liberal HBO host commented on the Russia situation while discussing the recent raid on Rudy Giuliani's New York home and office.
"Is it political payback? Is this politics or is it because what Giuliani and Trump did was unprecedented? I'd say that," Maher said, just days federal agents raided Giuliani's property as part of the ongoing investigation into whether he broke lobbying laws while working for Trump.
During a panel session of the show, political analyst and journalist Thomas Frank said that the Giuliani raid wasn't necessarily "unprecedented," pointing to the Nixon administration.
"But did they involve themselves with other countries?" Maher asked.
"I feel like, yes, we play dirty politics, but we always had one rule: no ringers, keep it in the family, do what you do, but don't bring in the guy from Russia," he continued.
"Look, a lot of this stuff we found out or we're finding out was reported erroneously," he later added.
Frank then asked if Maher was referring to "Russiagate," which the host said he was.
Rather than a major conspiracy, Maher said that he suspects Trump's relationship with Russia may have gotten so much attention because the former president was "both an idiot and crazy."
"We thought it had to be more of a conspiracy," Maher said.
"It may turn out that most of it really was just what he did in public."
"Because it's so insane that he was, 'Russia, if you're listening…' and when he admitted he fired [former FBI Director James] Comey. When I look back, I'm like, 'Wow, we lived through this?'"
Federal investigators raided Giuliani's home and office with a warrant to seize electronics on Wednesday.
Giuliana, the former mayor of New York City and personal lawyer to Trump, has denied any wrongdoing.
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