Bill Maher warns NYC candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier is ‘patient zero’ of woke movement

Comedian Bill Maher used his HBO show “Real Time” to label New York City congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier the “patient zero” of an extreme woke agenda. He condemned her calls to abolish prisons, borders and the police, her description of veterans as war criminals, and her attacks on Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Maher warned that such radical positions could jeopardize traditional Democratic support and told Republican vice‑presidential candidate JD Vance, “I believe there is a kind of awakened mind virus, and we’ve found our patient zero.”

Chevalier, who recently won the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th District over Adriano Espaillat with backing from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had previously removed controversial social‑media posts praising communism and claiming she wiped her hands on the U.S. flag. Her campaign did not respond to requests for comment.