After a month-long hiatus, Bill Maher is catching up with today’s internet slang… in real time.
On Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host attempted to understand the Brat phenomenon and Charli XCX‘s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as he spoke with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins about the 2024 presidential election.
What do you think about this? Somehow, Kamala got to be ‘brat,’” Maher prefaced, to which Collins quipped, “Are you jealous?”
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Although the comedian said he’s “not” jealous of the moniker, he went on to unpack the Grammy Award nominee’s definition of the term, which is also the title of her sixth studio album.
“Was that a smart move to embrace that? What does ‘brat’ mean to you?” he asked Collins, who explained that both sides are doing anything they “can do to reach out to young people.”
“I think at a time when everyone wants young voters, who historically don’t turn out in large numbers, they’re leaning into it,” she reasoned. “I don’t think everyone in the Harris campaign, certainly not in the White House, fully understood ‘brat’ either. It’s not really Washington’s strong suit — I lived there for close to a decade. But I think they leaned into it in the sense of, how does it appeal to young voters? And if older voters don’t get it, it’s not a big deal.”
Collins noted that Donald Trump is “trying to reach that same subset of voters, obviously different leanings,” adding: “I think that’s how they’re trying to go out and meet young people where they are, whether it’s a meme or a podcast.”
After reciting Charli’s definition of ‘brat’ as “just that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes,” Maher argued the term “sounds like Trump,” adding: “I think he’s very Brat”
“I’m saying I don’t want my president to be this,” Maher told Collins.
‘Brat Summer’ has even resulted in Harris bringing her campaign to TikTok, where a huge cross-section of her Gen Z supporters and Charli’s fans can be found. The campaign previously raised a record $81 million in its first 24 hours.