Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher said that people often got the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk all wrong — and did so intentionally in an effort to score points.
Maher, who interviewed Kirk before his assassination in September of 2025, raised the topic during a recent episode of his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast with guest and fellow comedian Jeff Dunham — and he argued that Kirk&#8217;s statements were often cut off and presented without context so that the Christian activist could be portrayed as a &#8220;monster.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💥NEW: Bill Maher on Charlie Kirk: “I liked him as a person. I’m glad I talked to him. I do not think he was a monster.” <a href="https://t.co/jDymW06WrK">pic.twitter.com/jDymW06WrK</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://x.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2063987830750093746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The Charlie Kirk interview with you and him was really interesting,&#8221; Dunham said.
&#8220;Me, with him here?&#8221; Maher asked for clarification.
&#8220;Yes.&#8221;
&#8220;I loved it,&#8221; Maher agreed, adding that he&#8217;d since been asked to participate in a documentary about Kirk, and that he&#8217;d quickly agreed to do so.
&#8220;I&#8217;m giving them five minutes after my taping Friday night, because — and I told them, don&#8217;t expect me to be just saying, you know, hagiography about Charlie,&#8221; Maher continued. &#8220;I liked him as a person, I&#8217;m glad I talked to him. I do not think he was a monster, and if you look — if you look at — uh-oh, heart attack?&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah,&#8221; Dunham laughed.
&#8220;If you look at his statements, I&#8217;ve read the full statements. Of course, because everybody is only interested in getting points for their team they mischaracterize them,&#8221; Maher added. &#8220;But even when I read the full statement, which were accurately characterized, I still disagreed with him. But it wasn&#8217;t what they present — it wasn&#8217;t what they presented.&#8221;
&#8220;Again, it&#8217;s always in the middle — it wasn&#8217;t as bad as they said, but I still disagree,&#8221; he said.
Dunham said that&#8217;s what he&#8217;d enjoyed about Maher&#8217;s interview with Kirk — that he had allowed him to fully lay out his points and had considered them rather than simply pushing back and calling him names.
&#8220;My little motto here is everybody&#8217;s a monster until you talk to them,&#8221; Maher concluded.

Charlie Kirk

WATCH: Bill Maher Says People Got Charlie Kirk All Wrong — On Purpose

Bill Maher

Media

Politics

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher ripped into artists who have abandoned plans to perform for America&#8217;s 250th birthday celebrations, arguing that they&#8217;ve played into President Donald Trump&#8217;s hands.
Maher, during his show on Friday, said that when musicians declared that they would not take part in the festivities, they were making it look as though they did not love the United States — which is exactly the position Trump and others have accused them of taking.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bill Maher SLAPS AROUND the artist that PULLED out of the Freedom 250 Concert: “They all pulled out. This is a question of what looks best for the Democrats because I don’t think that looks good. It looks like you are just what people say about you: you don’t really love America.… <a href="https://t.co/DJP35wbT1P">pic.twitter.com/DJP35wbT1P</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) <a href="https://x.com/RedWavePress/status/2063344878566662324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I think these people — they all pulled out,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;They all pulled out. This is a question of what looks best for the Democrats because I don’t think that looks good. It looks like you are just what people say about you: you don’t really love America. It looks like you think that Trump is more important than the country itself.”
“Now it’s just a big MAGA rally, this whole thing, because they all pulled out,&#8221; Maher complained. &#8220;So now it&#8217;s just Trump and Lee Greenwood.&#8221;
&#8220;Wouldn’t it have been better to play this gig?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;It&#8217;s a month-long gig, lots of people, like — just celebrating America. Can’t we all just celebrate America itself and leave Trump out of it?&#8221;
Nineties rap icon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanilla-ice-blows-up-the-america-250-boycott-narrative">Vanilla Ice</a> — who has not withdrawn from the America 250 celebrations — made a similar case earlier in the week.
&#8220;All we’re doing is celebrating the birthday of our country, what’s the big deal here? And as far as entertainers, I don’t think it’s fair to put any of us on a pedestal like that as far as politics goes because, you know, it shouldn’t matter: we’re just here to play,&#8221; he said.

Bill Maher Rips Artists For Pulling Out OF America 250 Concerts

America 250

Music

Vanilla Ice

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher pushed back immediately on claims from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) that CBS News was leaning hard toward President Donald Trump.
Murphy claimed during a Friday evening appearance with Maher that when CBS News axed longtime &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; anchor Scott Pelley, it was just further proof that the Trump administration was pushing to implement a &#8220;censorship state&#8221; and take full control of the media.
WATCH:
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Bill Maher repeatedly swats down Democrat senator’s claim that Trump is hijacking 60 Minutes to “tell his story.”
No matter which direction Chris Murphy turned, Maher kept getting in his way.
MURPHY: “You’re watching a censorship state&#8230; Trump is using regulatory powers to… <a href="https://t.co/rS2ucGIroh">pic.twitter.com/rS2ucGIroh</a>
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) <a href="https://x.com/VigilantFox/status/2063108891471130724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You’re watching a censorship state,&#8221; Murphy asserted, adding, &#8220;Trump is using regulatory powers to punish people who oppose him.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s a big charge that you just made, that &#8217;60 Minutes&#8217; itself and CBS itself is now completely MAGA,&#8221; Maher pushed back. &#8220;I don’t see it that way.&#8221;
Murphy backpedaled slightly, saying, &#8220;It’s not completely MAGA.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, it’s kind of what you said,&#8221; Maher pointed out.
&#8220;But he is clearly intent on installing people who will tell his story and will keep his critics off the air,&#8221; Murphy claimed.
&#8220;But let me ask you this question. I watch &#8217;60 Minutes&#8217; every week. I have since I was a kid,&#8221; Maher continued to press, arguing that the media was making a story out of nothing. &#8220;If I didn’t hear all the buzz in the media … would I ever notice that it was any different? I don’t think I would.&#8221;
&#8220;Part of what the allegation is, is that they are killing stories that would be embarrassing for the president,&#8221; Murphy insisted, adding, &#8220;So it’s hard to know what you’re missing in a censorship environment.&#8221;
Maher noted that he was still seeing stories that weren&#8217;t exactly flattering to Trump, suggesting that if the goal was to censor unfavorable stories, the network had thus far not been terribly successful in doing so.
&#8220;I’ve seen ones that are not very favorable to the president,&#8221; he said, repeating, &#8220;I don’t know if I would have noticed anything different if I hadn’t been reading about it &#8230; Companies change hands all the time … ‘Oh my God. 60 Minutes has a new cast!’ So does &#8216;Saturday Night Live.'&#8221;
Over laughter from the audience, Maher added, &#8220;I’m not going to [fret] until I see a smoking gun.&#8221;

Bill Maher Unravels Top Dem’s Claim That CBS Has Gone Full MAGA

Bill Maher Unravels Top Dem's Claim That CBS Has Gone Full MAGA

CBS News

Chris Murphy

Donald Trump

MAGA

Former MTV reality star Spencer Pratt informed comedian Bill Maher that, if elected mayor of Los Angeles, he would enforce laws against smoking marijuana around children and in public spaces.
Pratt joined Maher for the latest episode of his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast, where the two discussed Pratt&#8217;s dramatic surge leading into Tuesday&#8217;s jungle primary — and Pratt said he was absolutely ready to enforce laws already on the books regarding cannabis smoking and drug use when children are present.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="What Spencer Pratt would put Bill Maher in handcuffs for" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eR-MqVxZx3A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Pratt explained that he&#8217;d never really talked about politics when he was on MTV, saying that at the time he&#8217;d been trying to be famous, and did not see an advantage in angering one half of the audience or the other.
Maher asked then whether he cared about &#8220;all the issues&#8221; now that he was running to be mayor of Los Angeles, and Pratt said no.
&#8220;I care about safety, the lights being on, potholes. I don’t want you smoking in front of kids at the park. You know, I’ll be enforcing if you’re smoking that in front of a kid at a swing. I’ll be getting you as mayor,&#8221; he jabbed at Maher, who is well known for his love of marijuana.
&#8220;No more drugs around kids at parks, in schools, in front of daycares,&#8221; Pratt said. &#8220;We need to have a society of consequences again &#8230; I never thought growing up I could smoke a blunt in front of a kid at the park. Now that happens. Moms do not want their kids that are like 5 years old &#8230;&#8221;
Maher continued to press Pratt on specific issues — namely the regulatory red tape surrounding solar panels, despite the fact that California has been pushing more people toward green energy sources — and Pratt insisted that crime and drug use needed to be handled first: &#8220;We’re about three years from worrying about solar panels. We need to get all the naked drug addicts off of the sidewalks, and then I can worry about solar panels.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spencer Pratt drags Bill Maher out of his liberal bubble and brought him back down to earth.
Maher was annoyed that Pratt didn’t know the specifics about taxes on solar powered energy, but Pratt humbled him with the REAL problems Angelenos care about.
MAHER: “This is a state… <a href="https://t.co/OvfHVkVzCh">pic.twitter.com/OvfHVkVzCh</a>
— Overton (@overton_news) <a href="https://x.com/overton_news/status/2061410733284372959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Pratt and Maher appeared to be on the same wavelength for much of the conversation, but the former MTV star shocked the comedian with one assertion: the number of homeless people in Los Angeles who, he says, are not even from California.
&#8220;Ready for the best part?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;60% of the people in Los Angeles that are &#8216;experiencing homelessness&#8217; are NOT from California! They&#8217;ve been brought here by NGOs that profit off of this homeless industrial complex.&#8221;
&#8220;Wait, wait, they&#8217;ve been brought here?&#8221; Maher asked.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve been brought here,&#8221; Pratt replied. &#8220;Body brokers bring these people here from all across the country. If you&#8217;re an addict you can come to LA and get these rehabs and because you can use Medicaid, Social Security.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BOOM: LA mayor candidate SPENCER PRATT just exposed the NGO homeless industrial complex and Bill Maher couldn&#8217;t believe it
&#8220;Ready for the best part? 60% of the people in Los Angeles that are &#8216;experiencing homelessness&#8217; are NOT from California! They&#8217;ve been brought here by… <a href="https://t.co/Iq7R41gxdt">pic.twitter.com/Iq7R41gxdt</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2061427811026366625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt Gives Bill Maher A Reality Check On Smoking Pot Around Kids

Spencer Pratt Drops A Reality Check On Bill Maher’s Pot Around Kids

Los Angeles

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher ripped into Democrats he said were too chicken to appear on his program, telling guest will.i.am that many in the party avoid any show unless they know beforehand they&#8217;ll be met with admiration rather than scrutiny.
The Black-Eyed Peas frontman asked Maher who, of all the people he hadn&#8217;t been able to sit down with, he&#8217;d most like to interview — and Maher explained that he&#8217;d found it far more difficult to book Democrats for his show lately.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💥NEW: <a href="https://t.co/vbvHjsGjXV">https://t.co/vbvHjsGjXV</a>: “Who haven’t you interviewed that you want to interview?”
Bill Maher: “Ironically, mostly Democrats — because they’re such p*ssies they won’t come on the show … Democrats are p*ssies about going anywhere that they’re not already pre-adored.” <a href="https://t.co/IDcyRN3obT">pic.twitter.com/IDcyRN3obT</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2056323059775045648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Maher began with a story about a guest from earlier that evening — a Republican congresswoman — and said that if he&#8217;d only read what was said about her in the media, he would have believed that she was stupid or &#8220;a hot head.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s not any of those things,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t agree on many issues, but you know what? I always say it, everybody&#8217;s a monster till you talk to them.&#8221;
The rapper interjected then, asking, &#8220;Who haven&#8217;t you interviewed that you want to interview?&#8221;
&#8220;Mostly — ironically, mostly Democrats — because they’re such p*ssies they won’t come on the show. Like the Clintons. After — I mean, you know — Kamala. I voted for you,&#8221; Maher replied.
&#8220;Really? You haven&#8217;t interviewed them yet?&#8221; will.i.am said, clearly taken aback by the revelation.
&#8220;I would love to,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;They — you know — Democrats are p*ssies about like going anywhere that they’re not already pre-adored. Not all of them, but some of them — Kamala Harris, I mean, I always say to my woke friends, &#8216;We voted for the same person, you&#8217;re just why she lost, okay? You&#8217;re a little too precious.'&#8221;

‘They’re Such P*ssies’: Bill Maher Says He Can’t Find Democrats To Come On His Show Anymore

'They're Such P*ssies': Bill Maher Says He Can't Find Democrats To Come On His Show Anymore

comedian

Democrats

Far-Left <a href="https://latenighter.com/news/strike-force-five-reunion-colbert-late-show/">Avengers</a> … assemble!
The Legacy Media is celebrating the return of Strike Force Five. The group, comprised of progressive late-night hosts, originally gathered in 2023 during the protracted Hollywood writers’ strike.
Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy Fallon. Stephen Colbert. Seth Meyers. John Oliver. (Jon Stewart hadn’t returned to “The Daily Show” at that time.)
Except one late-night liberal either lost his invite or never got one in the first place: Bill Maher.
It’s not as if the “Real Time with Bill Maher” host votes differently than that gaggle. Or that Maher doesn’t skewer President Donald Trump on a regular basis.
Boy, does he ever. He still hints that Trump won’t leave office once his second term wraps.
Maher isn’t a cozy fit for the Five comedians despite those similarities. He speaks freely and regularly roasts his own side. And, perhaps most of all, he invites right-leaning guests on his shows for frank talks about everything from culture to politics. Yes, politics.
All of the above makes him a unicorn on the late-night landscape, and a welcome one at that. Maher would be a square peg in a round Strike Force hole.
The progressive Five have become achingly predictable in recent years. The monologues all attack the same subjects – President Trump, Elon Musk, the right-leaning Supreme Court – while ignoring the foibles of modern Democrats.
What Rep. Eric Swalwell scandal?
They collectively downplayed or ignored President Joe Biden’s tragic cognitive decline for nearly four years. When Biden short-circuited during that cringeworthy 2024 presidential debate, they finally had to speak a bit of truth to power.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/late-night-gives-up-the-biden-ghost">Colbert finally teed off</a> on the 80-something leader a few days after the debate: “Biden debated as well as Abe Lincoln … if you dug him up right now.”
That came weeks after Colbert headlined a Biden fundraiser and didn’t alert his viewers that the president wasn’t intellectually up to the gig after seeing him up close.
Nor did Kimmel, who was on hand the night President Biden froze at the end of a fundraiser. Former President Barack Obama had to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-leading-biden-off-stage-hand-really-pissed-me-off-hunter-biden-seethes">gently guide him offstage.</a>
In a way, Maher is a more pragmatic Democrat than his peers. He’s spent the last few years warning his party about its extreme points of view, from a reliance on Identity Politics to woke overreach.
He’s argued on more than one occasion that a party that insists trans women can fairly compete against women may be doomed at the ballot box. He made the argument again <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/28/us-news/bill-maher-and-david-cross-in-war-of-words-over-looney-left-and-trans-rights/">during a recent sit-down</a> with progressive comic David Cross about Imane Khelif, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-journalist-claims-medical-report-proves-olympic-boxer-who-took-gold-in-womens-division-a-man">male boxer who won a gold medal against female competitors:</a>
<blockquote>
I mean, we saw in the Olympics … a man, now fighting as a woman boxer just beat the dog s*** out of a woman, the other boxer … I’m just saying there’s stuff inside the bubble that could be bad.
</blockquote>
The “loony Left,” Maher argued, continues to “die on the hills that are unnecessary to die on,” Maher said. That isn’t just a punchline. It’s a message directed straight at party leaders. Keep it up, and get ready for President JD Vance (or Marco Rubio).
Maher’s mission couldn’t be more obvious. He’s trying to save his party from itself, and he’s dropping smart bomb jokes to nudge that message along.
Strike Force Five members do just the opposite. They ignore their party’s failings and pretend there’s nothing beyond the pale about them to mock. That will ultimately hurt Democrats, who can’t sharpen their rhetorical skills while being coddled by their late-night defenders.
There’s another, more personal reason why Maher would never crack the Five. He’s no fan of their approach to their craft. Last year, he said his late-night peers <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/bill-maher-blasts-kimmel-colbert-115003436.html">parrot what’s uttered on MSNBC:</a> “…everybody makes their decisions based on the politics of the art and not the art itself.”
Maher may not be Strike-worthy, but that <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/late-night-host-seth-meyers-lets-slip-one-of-colberts-final-surprises/">“Avengers” media label</a> is laughable on three fronts.
One, there’s nothing special about this collection of thinly disguised activists. After all, the current late-night TV landscape appears to be in a death spiral, according to both <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/jimmy-kimmel-late-night-shows-wont-exist-10-years-1236105045/">Kimmel</a> and former late-night superstar David Letterman. The latter comic gives the format <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5863868-letterman-late-night-colbert-cbs-skydance/">another year, at best.</a>
<a href="https://observer.com/2025/10/late-night-talk-show-decline-cultural-analysis/">Revenue is way down</a>. So are the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/04/22/how-the-morning-news-late-night-shows-lost-half-their-viewers/">ratings, by and large</a>. ABC did re-sign Kimmel late last year … for a measly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-abc-extension-8df182f90f7d068743b8c123f9ed50c5">one-year extension</a>. And if Colbert got the ax from CBS for reportedly losing the company $40 million a year, how much is Kimmel costing ABC, given the similar format and ratings that consistently follow Colbert’s lead?
Two, they all share essentially the same “superpowers,” the ability to hit one side and ignore the other. The MCU gang brings wildly different skill sets together for the greater good, be it super strength, the power of flight, or the ability to shrink to the size of an ant.
And three, by ignoring bad actors on the Left and pushing false narratives elsewhere, this group is the furthest thing from “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” They’re hurting the country.
Maher, at 70, is the oldest of the late-night bunch, but his late-night future still may be the most secure. He continues to attract both right-leaning guests and fans for his HBO showcase and “Club Random” podcast.
Kimmel may have famously wished “not good riddance, but riddance” to conservatives, but Maher says, “bring ‘em on.”
That means Maher isn’t automatically alienating half the country. That’s smart. It’s also his best survival tactic in an increasingly competitive market.
That’s his undeniable superpower.
***
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. He&#8217;s also the host of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hollywood-in-toto-podcast-w-christian-toto/id1186449155">The Hollywood in Toto Podcast</a>. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>.

Larry King’s Toast to 50 Years in Broadcasting

Strike Force Five Minus Maher

Entertainment

Late-Night

Legacy Media

Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman praised Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt’s playbook on Monday and urged Democrats to move on from their barrage of anti-Trump ads.
Fetterman, who is known for his regular criticisms of the Democratic Party, told comedian Bill Maher that Pratt is running circles around Democrats when it comes to getting his message out to voters.
“He has this AI commercial as Batman. It puts Mayor Bass as the Joker, and they put Newsom as Louis XIV eating cake,” Fetterman said, praising the ad’s ability to get a convincing message across. 
“The Democratic side’s commercials are literally ‘f*ck Trump,” he said, arguing those types of ads won’t “win a national argument” in a purple state. Instead, Fetterman pointed to what he sees as a more effective approach. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WOW! Even Sen. John Fetterman says Spencer Pratt’s campaign ads are smarter and more relatable than Democrat messaging, blasting the left for relying on “f*ck Trump” messaging instead of actual policy. 🔥
“Democrat&#8217; campaign ads? Literally &#8216;f*ck Trump.&#8217; It just keeps cutting to… <a href="https://t.co/eyVpPGE30p">pic.twitter.com/eyVpPGE30p</a>
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheOfficerTatum/status/2053862099538030728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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AI-generated ads backing Pratt have targeted issues that concern many Los Angeles residents, such as affordability, homelessness, and safety. In one video created by filmmaker Charles Curran and shared by Pratt, the mayoral candidate is depicted as Batman, who saves the city from villains like the Joker, who was made to resemble Mayor Karen Bass. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LA is worth saving. Vote Spencer Pratt. <a href="https://t.co/GpQpnfsuJe">pic.twitter.com/GpQpnfsuJe</a>
— Charles Curran (@charliebcurran) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebcurran/status/2051647381981290697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Republicans in California have gained some traction in the state’s gubernatorial race as Democrats continue to focus on anti-Trump messaging, much to Fetterman’s dismay. According to the prediction market Kalshi, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has a 79% chance of advancing to the runoff after the California primary in early June. Like Pratt, Hilton’s campaign focuses on safety and affordability in California. 
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter’s latest ad features protesters holding signs reading “Dump Trump,” despite Trump not being in the race or up for re-election. There is less emphasis on Trump in the mayoral race.
Pratt’s political rival, Nithya Raman, ran an ad focused on Hollywood’s declining film industry, but it fell flat when she attempted to draw sympathy by featuring her husband, a Hollywood producer who has written for &#8220;30 Rock&#8221; and &#8220;Modern Family.&#8221; In the ad, Raman stands in a vacant studio lot discussing the city’s loss of movie production, saying, “This issue is personal to me because my husband works in the industry too.”
Mayor Bass frequently posts Instagram videos featuring members of her community. In one video, a supporter energizes a crowd by saying, “They say homelessness is up, but the numbers have gone down every year with Bass as mayor.”
Both Bass and Raman dropped out of the second Los Angeles mayoral debate. An online viewer poll from NBC4 L.A. showed 89% of respondents picked Pratt as the winner of the first debate. Bass’s team said the incumbent mayor is dropping out of the second debate to travel to Sacramento to lobby state officials for funding for the Palisades fire recovery. The L.A. Times reports that Raman dropped out because “her main reason to attend the forum was to debate Bass.”

Pratt ad

SEE IT: Fetterman Gives Spencer Pratt The Compliment Democrats Dreaded

California

John Fetterman

Karen Bass

John Fetterman just said the quiet part out loud about where he thinks today’s Democratic Party is heading and he does not sound thrilled about it.
During an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, the Pennsylvania Democrat expressed alarm over the growing normalization of socialism inside parts of the Democratic Party, warning the trend should concern Americans.
“And people that are proud to be labeled as a socialist, that used to be a smear,” Fetterman said. “Now it’s becoming more normalized, and now I think that’s a very dangerous slippery slope for us to be.”
Fetterman went even further, saying immigrants and people who have actually lived under socialist or communist governments often understand the consequences better than American progressives romanticizing the idea online.
“I’ve spoke to people that had to live under socialism and or communism, and they are like they are morons if they think that socialism is the answer,” he said.
The exchange quickly turned into a broader conversation about how dramatically political language on the Left has shifted in recent years.
Maher argued that while America already has some government-run systems like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, modern progressive activists are pushing something far beyond that. He then pointed to growing acceptance of openly communist rhetoric among some younger activists and political figures.
“What really was a dirty word, which isn’t anymore, is communism,” Maher said.
The HBO host specifically referenced comments from people connected to New York City’s socialist movement and warned that ideas once considered politically toxic are suddenly becoming socially acceptable in parts of elite progressive circles.
“I think we need to pause here and say, OK, this is a watershed moment in American history where we should pay attention,” Maher added.
Fetterman responded bluntly: “Well, I sure hope not.”
The conversation is notable because Fetterman has increasingly become one of the few Democrats willing to publicly criticize parts of his own party’s activist wing, especially after the October 7 Hamas attacks and the internal Democratic civil war over Israel, policing, socialism, and progressive activism.
While many progressives initially embraced Fetterman during his Senate run because of his populist image and anti-establishment style, he has increasingly frustrated the Left by sounding far more moderate on issues involving Israel, law enforcement, and now socialism itself.
The interview also highlights a growing panic inside parts of the Democratic Party ahead of 2028 as leaders try to figure out whether the future of the party belongs to moderates trying to win back working-class voters or activists pushing the party further left.
For conservatives watching the conversation unfold, hearing a sitting Democratic senator openly warn about socialism and communism becoming normalized probably says a lot about just how far the debate has shifted in recent years.

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For DHS Secretary Nominee Markwayne Mullin

Fetterman Says Democrats Are Flirting With Something Americans Used To Fear

Communism

Democratic Socialism

fetterman

President Donald Trump tore into comedian and HBO host Bill Maher late on Saturday, delivering a blistering review of Maher&#8217;s recent interview featuring Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
Trump made his thoughts on the matter abundantly clear in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116507513607934090">Truth Social post</a>, trashing both Newsom and Maher before concluding that the latter, whom he dubbed a &#8220;moron&#8221; was still &#8220;slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.&#8221;
&#8220;I hate seeing Fox, and other Conservative Outlets, constantly making Low Rated Bill Maher &#8216;relevant&#8217; as it pertains to the Republican Party, and beyond,&#8221; Trump began his pos with a complain about the number of people, even on the conservative side of the aisle, who appeared to take Maher seriously. &#8220;Bill Maher is a weak and ineffective person who I got to know very well during my dinner with him at the White House.&#8221;
&#8220;He was nervous, scared, and the first words he uttered as he entered the Oval Office were, &#8216;Can I have a drink?&#8217; It was very endearing but, at the same time, absolutely pathetic,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;He was much different from what people think.&#8221;
Trump went on to say that he&#8217;d taken the time to watch some of Newsom&#8217;s interview on Maher&#8217;s show — an interview in which Maher had repeatedly pressed Newsom, albeit in a friendly manner, about the California policies that most Americans might see as abject failures.
&#8220;Last night, I happened to watch Gavin Newscum, an admittedly Low IQ person, who said he can’t read a speech, is dumb, and essentially, incompetent, and he took Bill Maher &#8216;over the coals,'&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Bill Maher was defenseless, and totally deficient. Either he didn’t have the knowledge, or he choked, because Gavin went on and on about how good California is doing, while it’s doing very poorly, having, by far, the worst year it’s ever had where, for the first time in History, more people are leaving than coming. Bill Maher started by saying that California was doing poorly, only to have Newscum speak for an extended period of time, and lie about the facts.&#8221;
&#8220;All you have to do is look at what’s happened to Los Angeles, San Francisco, the horrendous homeless problem all over every street, the Railway catastrophe that is Billions of Dollars over budget, and has never been built, the inability to rebuild the 25,000 homes that were destroyed by the fire because he refused to allow water into the street from the Southwest (If it weren’t for our Superstar EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and me, they wouldn’t have any homes being built right now!),&#8221; Trump continued.
The president&#8217;s conclusion was simple: &#8220;Fox should stop putting this person on. He’s not representing us. You look weak, stupid, and ineffective, and I hate seeing that. DON’T USE BILL MAHER ANY LONGER AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOU! I hate hearing that &#8216;Bill Maher said …&#8217; — Bill Maher is a MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.&#8221;
Trump has also been at war with Kimmel in recent weeks, calling on ABC to fire the late night comedian over a line directed at First Lady Melania Trump stating that she had &#8220;the glow of an expectant widow.&#8221;
The &#8220;joke&#8221; angered the president and Melania, particularly since it came just 48 hours before yet another assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner — but Kimmel has insisted that it was only meant to be a jab at the dramatic age difference between the pair.

Trump Trashes Bill Maher In Scathing Review Of Newsom Interview

Gavin Newsom

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher pulled no punches in an interview with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), grilling him about his recent Trump-like behavior and the billion-dollar black hole that is California&#8217;s proposed high-speed rail system.
Maher spoke to the California politician — who is term-limited out of his current office and widely expected to run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — and pressed him on his record in The Golden State.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NEW: Bill Maher GRILLS Gavin Newsom over his biggest failures in blistering interview:
MAHER: “The other side, what they are going to say though is, but have you seen the stats from California?”
NEWSOM: “Good! One of the largest economies. Let’s go!”
MAHER: “Well… are they… <a href="https://t.co/hS0fr3IFe7">pic.twitter.com/hS0fr3IFe7</a>
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/2050524436097360144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Maher began by warning Newsom that as soon as he officially threw his hat into the presidential ring, Republicans would be begging to discuss his tenure as California governor.
&#8220;The other side, what they are going to say though is, but have you seen the stats from California?” Maher pointed out.
Newsom did not appear to be bothered by the prospect, firing back, &#8220;Good! Fourth largest economy. Let’s go!&#8221;
&#8220;Well … are they going to say good about gas prices?” he replied. “Are they going to say good about how high their rents are? So many people live … I mean there’s a whole litany,&#8221; Maher cautioned before bringing up the train. &#8220;I mean the train! Gavin, you got to get rid of the train! I say this as a friend, you got to let that train go! Let the train go. It’s up to $231 billion.&#8221;
Newsom pushed back, claiming that he&#8217;d inherited the problem from previous administrations and blaming &#8220;legal challenges&#8221; and environmental concerns for the delays and added costs. He went on to say that the project was finally making progress and laying the first tracks. The <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-politics/california-high-speed-rail-project-soars-231b-worst-public-infrastructure-failure-us-history">project</a> was initially funded in 2008 and should have been completed by 2020 at a cost of $33-45 billion. The cost has since ballooned to $231 billion and the project&#8217;s first phase may not see completion until 2032.
<a href="https://x.com/overton_news/status/2050409805798388001">In addition</a> to the rail project, Maher jabbed at Newsom over recent behavior he said mimicked that of President Donald Trump.
&#8220;Many people would say that you are imitating him,&#8221; Maher said, referencing legal threats Newsom recently made against Fox News.
“Fox better look to settle right now or apologize for defamation,” Newsom replied.
&#8220;Okay, but that sounds exactly like what he does. Suing media?&#8221; Maher pressed again.
&#8220;Well, don’t defame, don’t lie,&#8221; Newsom said.
&#8220;Okay, again! But that does sound like him!&#8221; Maher said again.

Bill Maher Corners Gavin Newsom Over High-Speed Rail Disaster: ‘Let The Train Go’

Bill Maher Corners Gavin Newsom Over High-Speed Rail Disaster: 'Let The Train Go'

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher joined in the wave of renewed scrutiny around former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who he described as a &#8220;f*cking creep&#8221; — which has prompted fresh debate in Washington over how long allegations and rumors can circulate inside political and media circles before ever becoming public.
Swalwell, once a prominent Democratic figure and frequent cable news guest during the Trump era, saw his political career collapse in a matter of days earlier this month after a series of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced publicly, including claims of rape and sexual assault. He has since suspended his California gubernatorial campaign, resigned from Congress, and acknowledged “mistakes” while denying the more serious accusations.
The speed of that fall has only intensified questions about what was known, and when. That surfaced again on Saturday when Bill Maher <a href="https://x.com/Ltrs_Frm_Across/status/2045538507238543768">addressed the situation on air</a>, describing what he said was a long-standing perception of Swalwell that never made it into mainstream reporting until recently.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💥NEW: Bill Maher on Eric Swalwell: &#8220;We had him on a couple of times. Ask my staff: I never liked him. I don’t have good gaydar — but I got creepdar. I always thought this guy was a f*cking creep. I never liked him.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/QCMWJoU0hw">pic.twitter.com/QCMWJoU0hw</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2045491220541997305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Speaking of creepy stuff, have you been following the Eric Swalwell case here in California?” Maher said. “I got to say, we had him on a couple of times. Ask my staff. I never liked him. I don’t have good gaydar, but I got creepdar. I always thought this guy was a f*cking creep.”
Maher then broadened the point beyond Swalwell himself, arguing that similar patterns have played out repeatedly in American politics.
“I hear this so many times,” he said, pointing to figures like Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein. “You know, it was an open secret in Arkansas. It was an open secret,” he said of Clinton-era allegations, drawing a comparison to other long-circulating claims that only later became public scandals.
“What is going on here, where it takes so long for the open secret to become public?” Maher asked. “I seem to remember that back in the old days … when JFK was President, we heard, well, the media used to protect politicians, and they knew what JFK was doing, but it was just something they didn’t report on. Is it any different now? Apparently not.”
The reference to John F. Kennedy underscored Maher’s broader argument: that media institutions, while more expansive today, still exercise selective judgment over what becomes public and when. Those comments come as new reporting and commentary continue to surface suggesting that concerns about Swalwell’s conduct were known inside political and media circles.
Former Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo warned in a <a href="https://x.com/mikehtrujillo/status/2043523203147178217">now-deleted post</a> that Swalwell’s past behavior would eventually surface during his gubernatorial run, referencing allegations involving interns and inappropriate conduct. Trujillo later said he removed the post after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Swalwell’s campaign.
Separately, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/influencers-allegations-eric-swalwell-00869517?user_id=679d0ffd415ba72c220d02ff">reported</a> that Swalwell had “developed a reputation for unsavory and sometimes unwanted behavior toward women,” citing what it described as longstanding “whisper networks” among political insiders that rarely extended into public reporting.
The result is a familiar pattern in which reputational information circulates informally inside elite political and media environments but remains unreported until it becomes politically unavoidable.
That dynamic is now drawing renewed attention as Swalwell’s career unravels in real time, with questions mounting not only about the allegations themselves, but about why they took so long to surface publicly in a sustained way. And as that debate continues to grow, one question is increasingly hanging over the story: if everyone in Washington and California knew, why didn&#8217;t anyone say anything sooner?

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers

Watch Bill Maher Trash Eric Swalwell: ‘F*cking Creep’

Bill Maher Trashes 'F*cking Creep' Eric Swalwell, Says He's Proof That Media Protects Politicians

Eric Swalwell

Sexual Assault

Bill Maher, hosting former Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan, pointed out the virtually complete Democratic Senate opposition to the state of Israel, noting that only seven Democratic senators voted against a measure blocking the sale of military equipment to Israel.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to block specific military sales to Israel, including $295 million for military bulldozers and $152 million for 1,000-pound bombs.
A record 40 members of the Democratic caucus (85%) voted to block the sales, while seven Democratic senators voted with the Republican majority to oppose the measures. These seven senators were: Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), John Fetterman (PA) Richard Blumenthal (CT), Chris Coons (DE), Jacky Rosen (NV), and Catherine Cortez Masto (NV).
“The Senate rejected a measure to block the sale of military equipment to Israel,” Maher noted. “I wouldn&#8217;t know what that means unless I stopped and thought about it. What it means is this: it is a Democratic idea. This is Bernie Sanders. This is the Democrats wanting to stop — and this is not charity to Israel. This is the sale of military equipment. This is the Democrats saying, we&#8217;re not going to sell Israel any more military equipment. Seven Democrats joined the Republicans in shooting this down. So Israel has seven Democratic allies left in the Senate.”
“Well, first of all, it&#8217;s not just Bernie Sanders. As you know, it&#8217;s 40 Democrats who voted for this,” Sullivan replied.
“That&#8217;s right. Only seven allies,” Maher responded.
“It was pretty straightforward. I talked to a number of them before the vote. I think they did the right thing. Why? Because the president of the United States —&#8221;
“Who did the right thing?” Maher interjected.
“Those 40 Democrats,” Sullivan answered.
“The 40?” Maher said incredulously
“Yeah, because the president of the United States and the prime minister of Israel brought the United States into a war that basically was misbegotten from the beginning, which cost American credibility, cost American lives and cost American families at the gas pump.’ Sullivan claimed. “And basically, those Democrats shouldn&#8217;t vote for anything that supports that war, including more weapons to Israel. I think that&#8217;s just a basic proposition. If you are not wanting to support the U. S. and Israel continuing the war in Iran, you shouldn&#8217;t be voting to send more weapons to Israel. I think that that is the right approach for those 40 Democrats to take.”
“Well, I see why Biden lost,” Maher fired back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BILL MAHER: “Israel has 7 Democratic allies left in the Senate.”
“This is the Democrats saying, we’re not going to sell Israel any more military equipment.”
JAKE SULLIVAN: “40 Democrats who voted for this.”
MAHER: “That’s right. Only 7 allies.”
SULLIVAN: “I talked to a number… <a href="https://t.co/pTHCa94adn">pic.twitter.com/pTHCa94adn</a>
&mdash; The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/2045552666059628918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Maher Clashes With Jake Sullivan After Most Senate Dems Turn On Israel

Israel

Jake Sullivan

Senate

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