John Stamos went to Mar-a-Lago for charity. Intolerant liberals lost their minds.
John Stamos went to Mar-a-Lago for charity. Intolerant liberals lost their minds. | Opinion The left's intolerance is well-documented, but the outrage and horror directed at John Stamos for merely attending an event at Donald Trump's property startled even me.
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Bill Maher brushes off liberal critics ahead of Trump meeting
Comedian Bill Maher is planning a White House meeting with Donald Trump, facilitated by Kid Rock, despite years of political criticism.
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Back when actor John Stamos was on 'Full House,' I remember having a crush on his character Uncle Jesse.
Yet, it's been a few decades since I thought much about him. So it caught my eye when he popped up in the headlines. Stamos (still handsome at 61) is living proof that no good deed goes unpunished.
The actor had the audacity to emcee an April 5 charity event for health care workers – get this – at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort and residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
I know, right?
The left's intolerance is well-documented (torching Teslas, anyone?), but the outrage and horror directed at Stamos for merely attending an event at Trump's property startled even me.
There's no question that Stamos is a Hollywood liberal (although he seems much less strident than some of his peers). He's not suddenly converted to a MAGA cultist.
He simply was asked to participate in a sold-out evening to raise money for the Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations, which helps address the nursing shortage in Palm Beach. And he graciously did so.
Opinion: Torching Teslas? Climate-loving liberals driven crazy by Trump harm their cause.
John Stamos has to defend attending a charity event? Give me a break.
When Stamos' lefty fans found out where he had been, however, all hell broke loose.
Here's a sampling of what they wrote on his Instagram page – including on a post where Stamos is raising awareness about giving to Make-A-Wish to help children with life-threatening illnesses:
'John, you can support nurses a trillion different ways. Supporting them while at the wannabe dictator's house isn't the way to do it.'
'Glad you popped up! I need a reminder to unfollow you'
'MAGA clown 🤡 totally done with you!'
'Enjoy all your new MAGA fans! Now the people banning books and hating minorities are on your team, great for you! Let me know how that works out for your career! 👏👏👏'
'How dare you say it isn't political. Tell that to the millions of people in your own country and around the world being hurt by this man. Supporting him is supporting bigotry, hate, racism, sexism, etc. whatever helps you sleep at night, right?'
'Grow a pair a balls and stand up for Democracy!'
'What were you thinking going to Marolago?! Thought better of you. Looks like fascists of a feather….'
Now, I'd like to think that Stamos would just ignore such idiocy. It seemed to bother him, though, and he took to an Instagram story to 'explain' himself. He said that the fundraiser was nonpartisan and that 'supporting nurses isn't political ‒ it's essential.'
'These are the people who care for us and our families when we need it most, and I believe we should show up for them with the same unwavering dedication they show up with every single day,' he wrote. 'I stand by the importance of healthcare, of service, and of investing in those who care for our communities.'
Stamos also assured followers his 'values and political views remain unchanged.'
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If I were him, I may rethink which side I wanted to be on, given the irrational backlash.
Bill Maher shows what civility can look like. He had dinner with Trump at the White House.
What happened to Stamos reminded me of a very different Trump-related encounter. 'Real Time' host Bill Maher recently had dinner with the president at the White House.
That is notable as Maher has not held back in his pointed criticism of the president (and vice versa). Yet, when Trump supporter and singer Kid Rock wanted to set up the dinner, Maher agreed. So did Trump, to his credit.
Maher likes to avoid party labels, but he's an old-school liberal. And while he has plenty of criticism for Republicans, he has also made a name for himself by calling out the worst actors on the left.
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Maher has no patience for illiberalism and wokeness, which were on full display in the backlash that Stamos received.
While Maher may hate some of the things Trump does, he said he does not hate him as a person.
'If you let yourself into that hate, then everything that happens you only see through the one partisan lens,' Maher said on a podcast.
John Stamos' haters should take that advice to heart.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
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