That was when Mr. Maher launched a “birther”— or, “ape-r” — campaign about Mr. Trump, to rival the one Mr. Trump had pursued about President Obama’s citizenship. Mr. Trump’s lawyers replied with a copy of his short-form birth certificate and a demand for the money, which Mr. Maher ignored. “But you definitely spent money.”That is, Mr. Maher had the money to pay for the courage that another comedian may not have been able to afford. But with so many sharing similar worries (at least among those who didn’t support Mr. Trump) and with Mr. Trump’s continued cage rattling, I turned to Mr. Trump’s adviser, Kellyanne Conway, for a response. Surprised to see Mr. Maher, he asked “You’re not in hiding?” That got Mr. Maher all worked up again.

Source: New York Times January 15, 2017 20:10 UTC