Bill Maher nails mainstream media's problem: 'You've got to earn your respect back' to fight Trump

In his Friday night "New Rules" segment, that showed the news media is less trustworthy than President Donald Trump among Republicans. He urged the media to use the opportunity to fight to get their reputations back.

Maher heralded recent decisions by the media to call Trump out as a liar on the front page, nail Kellyanne Conway when she makes up "," and hold other Trump shills accountable when they're caught in a lie.

"We're going to need a lot more of this," Maher said. "Trump has the White House, he's got Congress, he's got a crazy-loyal fan base. What do we have? P*ssy hats. But also people under them."

Maher explained that there is something very powerful about people taking to the streets to show that they care and are not afraid.

"We're liberals, dammit!" Maher continued. "We're tan, rested and gluten free and we are the type of people who'll throw a trashcan through a Starbucks window and then crawl through and say, 'You know, while I'm here can I get a double mocha, grande, very little foam?'"

He explained that liberals still have the streets and the courts. "But judges die and if only Republicans are there to replace them that could be bad," he went on. "Which leaves the press."

For the press to be effective, however, the approval numbers must change. He couldn't imagine how awful reporters must feel losing truthfulness contests to Donald Trump. Maher said that some might be furious that he gave Milo a platform but that the news media gave Trump the biggest platform ever.

While Trump was managing to make it through a speech without setting his podium on fire, the media ignored Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders "because they're policy people," Maher said. "And now, with so much happening all at once, we really need our news sources to borrow in."

Unfortunately, the second half of the news is filled with fluff and click bait, much to Maher's chagrin.

"The media lost trust because they became eyeball chasing, click bait whores, who bumped the story about climate change for the one about grizzly bears in the jacuzzi," Maher slammed.

His answer to it all was to return to a time when the news media was a public service aimed at informing the populous.

"The news wasn't supposed to make money, it was something the corporations gave us," he said.

Maher cited financial statistics that reveal these news programs aren't a major portion of the revenue of the networks and begged the companies to "take one for the team" because it will "pay off in the end."

"You know why?" he asked. "Because the best customers are alive.

Watch the full "New Rules" segment below: