Journalist Jeremy Scahill, a frequent panelist on “Real Time With Bill Maher,” was booked to appear Friday but canceled after he found out Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos would also be a guest.

Yiannopoulos is known for his provocative stories with headlines such as “Gay rights have made us dumber, it’s time to get back in the closet.” He was also permanently banned from Twitter last year –- a feat that takes some doing. Among his transgressions was targeting SNL comedian Leslie Jones, calling her “barely literate,” and rallying his hundreds of thousands of followers to direct racist, sexist missives to her. (She briefly quit Twitter over the abuse.)

Milo Yiannopoulos speaks at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo., in January. Jeremy Papasso/Daily Camera via AP

Scahill expressed admiration for the producers and writers of the show, but he called Yiannopoulos’ appearance “many bridges too far.”

“He has ample venues to spew his hateful diatribes,” Scahill wrote. “Appearing on ‘Real Time’ will provide Yiannopoulos with a large, important platform to openly advocate his racist, anti-immigrant campaign.”

Maher responded to Scahill’s criticism and doubled down on his decision to have the provocateur as a guest.

“Liberals will continue to lose elections as long as they follow the example of people like Mr. Scahill whose views veer into fantasy and away from bedrock liberal principles like equality of women, respect for minorities, separation of religion and state, and free speech,” Maher said in a statement, according to Entertainment Weekly. “If Mr. Yiannopoulos is indeed the monster Scahill claims – and he might be – nothing could serve the liberal cause better than having him exposed on Friday night.”

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