Byron Donalds Deflects Vaccine Question on Bill Maher Panel
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds avoided a direct answer when asked about vaccinating his children during a Real Time with Bill Maher episode.
On the August 28 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, Congressman Byron Donalds faced a question from panelist Molly Jong-Fast about the vaccination status of his three children. Donalds explained that his oldest son, now 23, followed a less intensive schedule than his 15-year-old, highlighting parental worries about the number of infant shots. He defended a White House directive signed by President Donald Trump that separates vaccine appointments and stresses informed consent.
Jong-Fast cited measles deaths in Ohio, but Donalds redirected the conversation to outbreaks linked to immigration detention centers in El Paso and Chicago, echoing remarks he made earlier on Face the Nation. Bill Maher concluded the segment with a personal anecdote about his own childhood illness.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights how vaccine policy and immigration issues intersect in political discourse.
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