Bill Maher put Senator Elissa Slotkin on the spot Friday, challenging the Michigan Democrat to defend her party&#8217;s opposition to President Donald Trump&#8217;s military actions against the Iranian regime.
Speaking to Slotkin on the latest episode of his show &#8220;Real Time,&#8221; Maher marveled that Slotkin and the majority of Democrats &#8220;miraculously&#8221; reached the exact conclusion on Operation Epic Fury. The one exception to that, Maher pointed out, was Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
WATCH:
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Bill Maher: “There’s one guy [Sen.] John Fetterman (D-PA)… who has dissented from the Democratic Party line. Is that really the case? Really, there’s only one person in the whole party who thinks differently? You all miraculously came to the same conclusion on Iran?
Sen.… <a href="https://t.co/1VkGBVHDfE">pic.twitter.com/1VkGBVHDfE</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWavePress/status/2037863626460082338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;There’s one guy, John Fetterman, who I can think of who has dissented from the Democratic Party line,&#8221; Maher explained. &#8220;Is that really the case? Really, there’s only one person in the whole party who thinks differently? You all miraculously came to the exact same conclusion about Iran?&#8221;
Slotkin attempted to push back, citing her own experience with the CIA and saying that she agreed that the Iranian regime was comprised of bad actors.
Adding that there was &#8220;no love lost&#8221; between her and the Iranian regime, she said, &#8220;The Iranian regime killed friends of mine with rockets and mortars and IEDs. But that’s different from just running headlong into a war without being able to articulate your goals and how you’re going to get out of it.&#8221;
“See, that’s the Democrat talking point I hear all the time and I don’t know if it’s true,&#8221; Maher objected. &#8220;I think they were planning to say that whether he did it or not, and then he did it, and they just kept saying it even though they did say many times, &#8216;Okay, we found out that they were very close to the bomb.&#8217; I mean, that&#8217;s what came out in the negotiations.&#8221;
Slotkin immediately pivoted, abandoning her claim that the Trump administration had not properly articulated its goals and objecting instead that the war was ongoing despite the fact that the goals had been met.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WOW: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) ADMITS the Trump administration has completely degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles, and other important things in the Iranian government.
“I can say very openly… we have for sure degraded their nuclear capabilities. For sure… <a href="https://t.co/oKtx8eKb56">pic.twitter.com/oKtx8eKb56</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWavePress/status/2037864089091756289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I can say very openly as a national security person, we have for sure degraded their nuclear capabilities. For sure degraded their ballistic missile capabilities,&#8221; Slotkin said, adding that those were certainly &#8220;important things in terms of the Iranian government.&#8221;

Elissa Slotkin 2/4/26

WATCH: Bill Maher Puts Dem Senator On The Spot Over Party’s Iran Groupthink

Bill Maher

Donald Trump

Elissa Slotkin

Iran

John Fetterman

Media

Military

Politics

The selection of Bill Maher as this year’s Mark Twain Award recipient at the Trump Kennedy Center signals that art transcends partisan politics.
The Center confirmed on Thursday that Maher, a well-known actor, comedian, TV host, and political commentator, would be honored with the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. A ceremony is scheduled for June 28 and will stream exclusively on Netflix at a later date.
The Mark Twain Award recognizes the &#8220;world’s greatest humorists&#8221; who have had an impact on American society, just like Twain did. 
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations for the Trump Kennedy Center, said in a statement. “For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time.”
Maher is best known for hosting “Politically Incorrect” from 1993 until 2002, followed by “Real Time” on HBO for more than two decades. The comedian received 41 Emmy nominations, winning once for “VICE” in 2014. He also received nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.
The podcast host is considered to be classically liberal, meaning he calls out his party for drifting too far into radical territory. Maher made waves last year for having dinner with Trump, saying at the time that he kept an open mind and was pleasantly surprised.
Maher has been critical of trans ideology, open borders, and leftists generally living in a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-bursts-patton-oswalts-bluesky-bubble-with-a-dose-of-reality">Bluesky bubble</a>.” He’s not fully red-pilled, however, and still fervently supports the legalization of marijuana. Maher also professes to be an atheist and had a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-says-his-morality-isnt-bible-based-ben-shapiro-sets-him-straight">lengthy debate</a> with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro on religion and morality last year.  
The comedian said the Mark Twain award was an honor.
“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” Maher said in response to the news, per the <a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/news-room/press-release-landing-page/bill-maher-27-mark-twain-prize/">press release</a>. “I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”
Previous recipients of the Mark Twain Prize are: Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), Adam Sandler (2023), Kevin Hart (2024), and Conan O’Brien (2025).

Decades Of Offending Everyone Just Earned Bill Maher Comedy’s Highest Honor

Comedian Who Offends Everyone Earns High Honor at Trump Kennedy Center

Celebrities

Entertainment

Kennedy Center

Washington D.C.

Actor Jerry O’Connell said his wife, Rebecca Romijn, and the couple’s two teenage daughters &#8220;became physical” with him on election night after he commented on Kamala Harris’ campaign failures.
The 52-year-old “Stand By Me” alum said as much during an interview with Bill Maher released earlier this week. 
&#8220;If I say this, will I stay married?&#8221; he joked with the “Club Random” podcast host. O’Connell went on to describe how Romijn and their children weren’t open to hearing honest feedback. 
&#8220;I said something along the lines of &#8216;there was no planning. This is what they get. There should have been a primary.&#8217; I said something along those lines, you know, like I was just spit-balling ideas. It was a shock. My wife and daughters, without saying anything, became physical with me. They were filled with rage,&#8221; O&#8217;Connell said.
&#8220;So if I am being careful with you in how I say things, yes, I live in California. I live with not one, not two, but three people who, if I made any kind of joke, they&#8217;d become very angry with me,&#8221; the actor added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jerry O&#039;Connell | Club Random with Bill Maher" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g_7IpYkjCIc?start=3517&#038;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>
Maher replied by saying he wouldn’t do well with that kind of behavior in his house.
&#8220;Whatever household situation I&#8217;m in, I say what I truly think, and if it makes you angry, I&#8217;m sorry. We&#8217;ll have to work that out. But I am not going to tuck my tail between my legs and just shut the f*** up,&#8221; Maher said.
O’Connell has been married to former supermodel Romijn since 2007, and their twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie, were born in 2008.
He actively supported Harris during the 2024 presidential election, even <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-EPwB9sGRE/">attending a rally</a> in Georgia.
Maher and O’Connell’s discussion about the 2024 presidential election came just after Maher criticized Hollywood for not recognizing Paramount+ hit “Landman” because it’s seen as a “conservative show.”
“First of all, even if it was a conservative show, that should be allowed,” Maher said. “This is f***ing America, you a**holes.”
He continued, “I mean, it’s just not exactly what you are. And so we have to ignore that and pretend it doesn’t exist. You want to know why people vote for Trump? That’s why. Your sh***y attitude is a real turnoff.”

Jerrry O’Connell Rebecca Romijn

Jerry O’Connell Says His Family ‘Became Physical’ With Him After Kamala Lost To Trump

2024 Election

Kamala Harris

Liberals

Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) walked right into a rhetorical trap set by comedian and HBO host Bill Maher on Friday, criticizing a statement he believed came from President Donald Trump about the military action in Iran only to find out that it was former President Barack Obama who said it in defense of his own actions in Libya.
Schiff was clearly taken aback when Maher informed him the statement — regarding whether or not the administration could carry out military strikes without congressional approval — had come from the Obama administration regarding Libya, and quickly backpedaled.
WATCH:
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Bill Maher sets up Sen. Adam Schiff by reading a vague quote justifying military action. Schiff blasts it as “totally vague,” assuming it’s about Trump’s Iran strikes.
Maher then reveals: “Okay, cause that’s from Obama about Libya.”<a href="https://t.co/PqNdpCeDqA">pic.twitter.com/PqNdpCeDqA</a>
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonStraka/status/2030293293272363264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This statement from the administration: &#8216;The president had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force because he could reasonably determine that such use of force was in the national interest.&#8217; That’s too vague for you?&#8221; Maher asked Schiff.
&#8220;Totally vague,&#8221; Schiff agreed.
Maher dropped the other shoe then, saying, &#8220;OK. Because that’s from Obama about Libya.&#8221;
Schiff, obviously set back on his heels, scrambled to reassess and landed on Obama&#8217;s actions with regard to Syria. &#8221;
Well, Obama made the argument, um, initially that he could go into Syria without an authorization,” the senator said while trying to gather himself, adding that he opposed the move.
“I and many others pushed back on that argument. Ultimately, he did not go forward with going after Assad — even though Assad was gassing his own people — because he thought he might lose the vote in Congress,&#8221; Schiff said. &#8220;But I respect the fact that, uh, that was important to [Obama], and the fact that he did not have the support of Congress meant that we weren’t going to go forward.&#8221;
Schiff opted not address the source of the initial statement — the action in Libya — where the Obama administration engaged in military action that lasted for months and was challenged by Congress as an &#8220;illegal&#8221; and &#8220;unauthorized&#8221; action. The House voted against authorizing the action in Libya in June of 2011, and a bipartisan group of ten House members <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-us-lawmakers-sue-obama-over-libya-strikes/">filed suit</a> against the Obama administration for bypassing Congress in order to pursue military action without approval.

Adam Schiff

WATCH: Bill Maher Tricks Adam Schiff, Who Thought He Was Criticizing Donald Trump

Barack Obama

Bill Maher says “woke” Hollywood may nominate him for awards, but insists they’ll never actually give him one because he doesn’t play by their rules.
The 69-year-old comedian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=xMwFeeKvwno&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE">said</a> as much during an episode of “Club Random” that was filmed before the Golden Globes on Sunday. 
“I’ve been nominated for 33 Emmys, and they would never give it to me,” Maher told his guest, Joel Edgerton. “That’s not a gag number. That’s a real number. It’s crazy.” He went on to list all the things he’s been nominated for in various categories. 
“Obviously, it’s something I said. Well, it’s everything I said,” he joked. “Because I speak freely. And this woke town f*cking hates that. And that’s okay. I’ve made my peace with that.”
If by “some miracle,” he received an award, he said, “I really should be shocked.”
Maher was nominated on Sunday for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television. He lost to fellow Hollywood outcast Ricky Gervais.
Gervais, who is well known for his iconic no-hold-barred, celebrity roasting monologue at the 2020 Golden Globes ceremony, won a coveted statuette Sunday night for his Netflix special, “Morality.”
The 64-year-old comedian was not in the audience to accept his award, but later posted about it on X, writing, “I f*cking won. Again.”
The moment of Gervais’ triumph was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wanda-sykes-hijacks-golden-globe-win-by-ricky-gervais-makes-it-about-trans-community?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Wanda+Sykes+Hijacks+Golden+Globe+Win+By+Ricky+Gervais%2C+Makes+it+About+%E2%80%98Trans+Community%E2%80%99">hijacked</a> by Golden Globes presenter Wanda Sykes, who used Gervais’ absence to mock him. 
“There’s some people pissed off that a queer black woman is up here doing the job of two mediocre white guys,” Sykes said while presenting the award, “But first I want to give them some love.”
She also referenced Maher, saying, “You give us so much. But I would love a little less. Just try less.” The camera panned to Maher, who appeared perplexed and was not smiling.
“Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here,” Sykes said while still listing nominees. “No, I love you. But if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf, and you are going to thank God and the trans community. Oooh, Ricky!”

Bill Maher Predicted His Golden Globes Loss: ‘I Speak Freely … This Woke Town F*cking Hates That’

Bill Maher Predicted His Golden Globes Loss: 'I Speak Freely...This Woke Town F***ing Hates That'

Golden Globes

Hollywood

Actor Tim Allen recently criticized DEI constraints on television shows, saying sitcoms need to be funny to succeed.
The 72-year-old “Home Improvement” alum made the comments during an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday. 
Allen suggested to Maher that DEI policies should not come at the expense of the show’s quality.
“My wife says, ‘Why do you keep saying that?’ And I said, ‘Somebody told me I was like the Tom Brady of sitcoms.’ When they asked me to do a third [show], I said, ‘I thought they were kidding,’” the comedian told Maher. “I don’t know whether my generation… because all the people that I know that I would make it with are either dead or not the right gender, you know, they’re all light-skinned European older men. And that doesn’t fit the DEI thing that everybody wanted. They wanted, you know, a potpourri of —”
Maher jumped in, saying one solution was to have “DEI in the cast.”
“I didn’t want to get into that. I didn’t want to patronize people. If you’re going to do a sitcom, it’s just got to be funny. You got to have some drama,” Allen went on.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tim Allen | Club Random with Bill Maher" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axYP6TfSr1I?start=1095&#038;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>
The podcast host agreed, saying diversity wasn’t the “only virtue.”
“Not everything in America has to look like Angelina Jolie’s Christmas card, you know, sometimes, and it’s always OK in reverse. It’s like if there’s something where it’s just an all-black cast — and good, I’m all for it. I’m not complaining about it,” Maher continued.
The host went on to question CBS&#8217;s 2020 <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/09/cbs-reality-shows-must-now-have-50percent-non-white-casts-network-says.html">goal</a> of increasing BIPOC representation in its writers&#8217; rooms. 
“I thought, what if the show they’re writing is about a polka band in a ski town?” Maher said.
“I love people of color, and I’m so glad that things are better than they used to be for people of color, but you know, it shouldn’t intrude on the creative process to the degree it has in this town,” Maher said. “It has intruded on the creative process. And by the way, lots of people of color agree with that because they want the creative process to be pure, too.”
Allen currently stars in the CBS sitcom “Shifting Gears,” which follows a father trying to reconnect with his adult daughter. Besides appearing on the well-known ‘90s series “Home Improvement,” he also starred in the popular ABC sitcom “Last Man Standing” (2011-2017).

Tim Allen

Tim Allen Pushes Back On DEI Infecting Sitcoms: ‘It’s Just Got To Be Funny’

Tim Allen Criticizes DEI Infecting Sitcoms: 'It's Just Got To Be Funny'

Television

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher voiced his surprise when &#8220;The Young Turks&#8221; host Ana Kasparian declared her opposition to men in women&#8217;s spaces — particularly locker rooms.
Maher was speaking to Kasparian on his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast when he raised the topic, prompting Kasparian to quickly agree, despite suggesting that she wasn&#8217;t &#8220;supposed&#8221; to have a problem with biological men in women&#8217;s spaces.
WATCH:
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🚨NEW: Bill Maher *STUNNED* as Ana Kasparian opposes biological males in female spaces🚨
KASPARIAN: &#8220;Is it bad that I don&#8217;t want to see a d*ck in the women&#8217;s locker room? I just don&#8217;t!&#8221;
MAHER: &#8220;So good to hear you say that. Really good. I did not expect that.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyCaller</a> <a href="https://t.co/RfsPvp6X9N">pic.twitter.com/RfsPvp6X9N</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1998040212170056054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kasparian realized where Maher was going with the conversation, and began to protest that he was going to get her &#8220;in trouble.&#8221;
&#8220;Why? There&#8217;s no trouble for you. Your life is trouble,&#8221; Maher replied.
&#8220;I’m supposed to be totally okay with it. Is it bad that I don’t want to see a d*** in the women’s locker room? Is that bad?&#8221; Kasparian asked.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Maher replied, laughing.
&#8220;I just don’t. I don’t want to see a c*** in the women’s locker room,&#8221; Kasparian continued.
&#8220;And you shouldn&#8217;t,&#8221; Maher agreed. &#8220;No woman should. I mean, this is basic 101.&#8221;
Maher went on to excoriate the political Left for adopting positions that were &#8220;counterintuitive&#8221; and &#8220;not helping&#8221; in the name of progress.
&#8220;Yeah, you want to champion women, and you didn’t. You did the opposite. You made them uncomfortable, and unnecessarily, in many ways,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;When you see everything as a hierarchy — everything is a hierarchy — well then, inevitably you&#8217;re going to find yourself in a situation where the rights of one group kind of falls by the wayside,&#8221; Kasparian explained.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a zero-sum game,&#8221; Maher interjected.
&#8220;And I don&#8217;t see it that way,&#8221; Kasparian declared, adding that she took particular issue with the idea of &#8220;self-ID&#8221; being the law of the land. &#8220;As you and I both know, there are all sorts of predators out there who are gonna take advantage of that situation, and that&#8217;s already happened.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not an indictment of transgender people. It’s an indictment of a policy that was not thought through. And as a result, there are women who are going to suffer,&#8221; Kasparian said after laying out just one example. &#8220;And as a result, there are transgender people who are going to suffer because people are going to make the mistake of thinking, ‘Oh, well, that guy was transgender, and this is how they behave.’ No. This is not how they behave. We need to be smarter about these policies. It’s that simple.&#8221;
&#8220;So, good to hear you say that. Really good. I did not expect that,&#8221; Maher replied.

Celebrities Visit SiriusXM – May 20, 2024

Bill Maher Shocked As Young Turks Host Says No To Men In Women’s Spaces

Ana Kasparian

The Young Turks

Transgender

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher attempted to claim that President Donald Trump has largely been treated like any other president — but Lara Trump, the president&#8217;s daughter-in-law, stopped him in his tracks.
Maher spoke with Trump — the wife of President Trump&#8217;s second son, Eric — on his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast, and she made the point that her entire family had been put through the wringer over almost a decade. Maher pushed back, arguing that it was simply a part of being a public figure — and that it may have been more pronounced simply because he was the President of the United States — but Lara Trump thought otherwise.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/LaraLeaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaraLeaTrump</a> *ISN&#8217;T HAVING IT* when Bill Maher claims her family was treated just like other presidents&#8217; families🚨
TRUMP: &#8220;Our family has been scrutinized, attacked under a microscope — I would probably argue more than any family.&#8221;
MAHER: &#8220;Well, of course — because… <a href="https://t.co/GG7MCjjyoO">pic.twitter.com/GG7MCjjyoO</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1992952437729104264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Our family has been scrutinized, attacked under a microscope — I would probably argue more than any family,&#8221; Trump began.
&#8220;Well, of course — because your father-in-law is the president,&#8221; Maher pushed back.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not just that he&#8217;s the president — it&#8217;s that he&#8217;s Donald Trump as the president,&#8221; Trump argued. &#8220;They&#8217;ve gone after all of us in such an aggressive way.&#8221;
&#8220;They would go after anybody,&#8221; Maher was not convinced. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t go after Obama and Clinton in an aggressive way?&#8221;
&#8220;Not like this, Bill,&#8221; Trump insisted.
Maher still made it clear that he wasn&#8217;t buying it: &#8220;Oh, please.&#8221;
&#8220;Really!? When did you see Obama and Clinton&#8217;s residences, personal private property, raided by the FBI?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;When did they have indictments against them to put them in jail for the rest of their life that everybody can agree were a little outrageous, Bill? Like, really!?&#8221;
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
Maher agreed that the raid on Mar-a-Lago was probably &#8220;over the top,&#8221; but went on to say that if he didn&#8217;t want his bathroom raided, Trump &#8220;probably shouldn&#8217;t be keeping files in [the] bathroom.&#8221;
Eric Trump faced a similar line of questioning in early November when &#8220;The Daily T&#8221; host Tim Stanley asked, &#8220;Some of the siege that you faced — and I understand why it was very personal and distressing — can you accept that some of it was just people legitimately disagreeing with your father’s policies and using every lever available, as people generally do in politics, in order to push back?&#8221;
The president&#8217;s son said that he certainly understood some attacks would come with public life, but argued it was &#8220;different than raiding somebody’s house. That’s different than subpoenaing their children with the intent to literally try and bankrupt a company,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That’s different than calling every financial institution and telling them to debank a person. That’s different than making up dirty dossiers saying that there were golden you-know-whats happening with prostitution when it was totally fabricated and paid by the opposition.&#8221;

US-REPUBLICAN-CONVENTION-PARTIES-ELECTION-POLITICS-VOTE

Bill Maher Says Trump Has Been Treated Like Any Other President. His Daughter-In-Law Disagrees

Bill Maher Says Trump Has Been Treated 'Like Any President.' His Daughter-In-Law Disagrees

Comedy

Lara Trump

Lawfare

President Donald Trump is stretching the “politics make strange bedfellows” saw to the breaking point.
Celebrity Nation leans aggressively to the Left, and anyone defying that groupthink puts their career at risk. Actor Zachary Levi said it out loud after he praised President Trump last year, calling the move <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/zachary-levi-endorsing-trump-lifeline-career-1236026923/">“career suicide.”</a>
That wasn’t the case in 2009, however, when celebrities flocked to President Barack Obama following his historic 2008 election. They pledged <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/celebrities-pledge-oath-obama/">to do whatever he told them to do</a>.
Different party, of course.
This past week, President Trump had recording artist Nicki Minaj indirectly singing his praises for drawing attention to a humanitarian crisis. The rapper took Trump’s side after the president called out the shocking slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj, in connection with the administration, spoke before a UN event about the shocking headlines coming from the African nation.
<div id="attachment_1002653" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1002653" class="size-large wp-image-1002653" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-864x576.jpg" alt="Nicki Minaj" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images</div>
&#8220;In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted … Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart &#8230; simply because of how they pray.&#8221;
She also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicki-minaj-nigeria-christians-trump-be7b03a3f1d4e43747fa26e600be5d3f">thanked the president</a> for leading the way on the matter to “combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
Trump critics contend that multiple religions have been targeted during the violence spree, and that the nation has sadly been the source of extreme violence for some time.
Minaj’s appearance understandably rocked pop culture, but it wasn’t the first time.
For starters, Trump’s second term features former Democrats like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., his Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.
Journalist Megyn Kelly, who Trump once blistered during an early Q&amp;A, stumped for his presidency in the waning days of the 2024 campaign.
It’s Trump’s pop culture connections, though, that raise eyebrows the highest. Think Snoop Dogg, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Bill Maher, and others who famously linked arms with the president in the past.
It started during the President’s first White House foray. Rapper Kanye West hopped aboard the Trump Train, meeting with the world leader at Trump Tower in 2016 following an extended concert speech praising the real estate mogul.
Two years later, West wore a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/snl-kanye-west-gave-pro-trump-speech-maga-hat-1148092/">red MAGA</a> hat on “Saturday Night Live” and praised Trump, but the artist’s string of antisemitic rants and emotional meltdowns caused his fame to curdle into its current, sorry state.
West’s former wife, Kim Kardashian, has arguably had a more productive relationship with Trump. The reality show starlet teamed with Trump on prison reform measures. Kardashian, ignoring a celebrity culture that raged against all things Trump, made the trek to the White House to personally push for her pet cause.
The wannabe lawyer and Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51744918">discussed reform measures</a> aimed at first-time offenders and those she felt were treated unfairly. That public relations coup led to the 2018 release of three young mothers — Crystal Munoz, Judith Negron, and Tynice Hall, all tied to drug-related charges.
<div id="attachment_1004231" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004231" class="size-large wp-image-1004231" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-864x576.jpg" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump, right, listens as reality star and activist Kim Kardashian West speaks about a second chance hiring and re-entry initiative at an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday June 13, 2019. Kardashian West took a star turn at the White House on Thursday to promote efforts to help those leaving prison get jobs and stay on track. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
She also played a role in the <a href="https://time.com/5486560/prison-reform-jared-kushner-kim-kardashian-west/">2018 bill</a> that expanded the criminal reform initiative, allowing prisoners to earn credits for early release among its measures. Kardashian wasn’t the only player who made that happen, but she became its public face via her social media empire.
Trump’s second term has seen more of the same, right from the jump.
Rapper Snoop Dogg infamously starred in a 2017 music video in which he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/trump-hits-back-at-snoop-dogg-assassination-video-idUSKBN16O04V/">“shot” a clownish Trump stand-in</a>.
Future Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39268735">blasted the clip</a>, telling TMZ at the time that, &#8220;If the wrong person sees that and gets the wrong idea, you could have a real problem.&#8221;
It was part of Hollywood’s collective wish for the real estate mogul to <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/celebrities-wished-trump-dead/">leave this mortal coil</a> during his first term.
The rapper/actor/pitchman apparently had a change of heart over time. By 2025, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-43733/snoop-dogg-trump-perform-inauguration">Snoop Dogg performed</a> at a pre-inauguration gala dubbed the Crypto Ball alongside Rick Ross and Soulja Boy. That’s despite previously calling anyone who performed for Trump during his first term “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPGvbw4jnvn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">Uncle Toms,” in a stereotypical, Stepin Fetchit-style voice</a>.
<div id="attachment_1004233" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004233" class="size-large wp-image-1004233" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-864x576.jpg" alt="SNL50: THE HOMECOMING CONCERT -- Pictured: (l-r) Snoop Dogg at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, February 14, 2025 -- (Photo by: Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty Images</div>
The rapper even stood up to social media critics who trashed him for his about-face.
“Y’all can’t hate enough for me, I love too much,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdjP-n8rIs">he told his critics</a>, via Entertainment Tonight. “We gotta pick each other up instead of putting each other down.”
Earlier this year, longtime Trump critic Bill Maher made the trek to the White House to break bread with his ideological foe. Maher got roasted for his trouble, including a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/opinion/larry-david-hitler-dinner.html">seething New York Times op-ed</a> from Larry David of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame.
Maher even suggested recently he’d like a second dinner with Trump while continuing to roast his leadership.
<div id="attachment_1004247" style="width: 1028px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004247" class="size-large wp-image-1004247" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1018x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: ClubRandom/YouTube.com" width="1018" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1018x576.jpg 1018w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-300x170.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-768x435.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1536x870.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock.jpg 1793w" sizes=" (max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px" />Screenshot: ClubRandom/YouTube.com</div>
How did the initial Maher-Trump dinner happen in the first place? Singer Kid Rock, a repeat guest on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, arranged for the unlikely meetup.
The wildest part of the dinner? Maher had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwqzHsSEZY">Trump sign a list</a> of all the insults the president had thrown the comedian’s way over the years. Maher considers it a prized possession, one he has shown to his “Club Random” guests.
It took courage for stars to align with Trump during his first term.
Now, with a few more celebrities bucking conventional wisdom, the president’s “bedfellows” are looking a little less strange.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
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Bill Maher had to school Patton Oswalt on what the Democratic Party has said about certain topics, accusing him of being in a “Bluesky bubble” and not knowing what’s going on.
The conversation took place during Monday’s episode of the “Club Random” podcast, as Maher complained that liberals were leaning too far left and embracing increasingly radical policies. “The Left freaked out about a lot of bullsh**,” Maher said. “Gender, race, parenthood, schools, homelessness, crime, the border, education. We stopped being a scientific people.”
“But the Left certainly stayed scientific,” Oswalt insisted.
“No, they didn’t,” Maher replied, to which Oswalt asked, “Why not?”
“Because they think gender bullsh** that they went way too far with … What makes us a great country is that we respect minorities. We don’t think they’re lesser just because they’re lesser in numbers. That’s not what we started to teach, which was that every baby is — I don’t know — let’s not even put it on the birth certificate. That’s what they wanted.”
 “When were we teaching that?” Oswalt asked.
“Teaching it — it was a law here in California,” Maher explained. “Don’t put sex on the birth certificate. ‘We’ll see.’ Now, we’ve passed that period now.”
Oswalt said he didn’t remember that, prompting Maher to shoot back, “Because it doesn’t get in the Bluesky bubble.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Patton Oswalt | Club Random with Bill Maher" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UlR7LyQh9wM?start=4441&#038;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>
At another point in the conversation, Maher asked Oswalt his opinion on immigration from Muslim countries and the negative effects it’s had on certain places, using the example of grooming gangs in the U.K. 
Maher asked the comedian if he knew about Pakistani grooming gangs, prompting Oswalt to jokingly ask if Maher was talking about the British royal family.
“See, that’s a big story. This is in the UK. That went on from like the 80s to the present … I’m talking about Pakistani men, who are immigrants, who were grooming poor, impoverished, white girls mostly and making them into prostitutes and sex slaves and like really nasty sh** that would pass for more normal in a traditional Pakistani society where women are not considered equal citizens,” Maher explained.
When asked how he could miss the story, Oswalt said he got his news from The Guardian and that it hadn’t been featured there. 
Maher has been vocally frustrated with the extremes of his party recently and has made enemies on the Left by calling them out for it. But he’s not fully red-pilled yet. At another point in the conversation, Maher claimed that representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) would be a “fantastic candidate” for the White House if she “had some deprogramming.”

Patton Oswalt and Bill Maher

Bill Maher Bursts Patton Oswalt’s ‘Bluesky Bubble’ With A Dose Of Reality

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Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher said on a recent podcast episode that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) had the potential to be a great presidential candidate — but only if the self-described Democratic socialist went through some &#8220;deprogramming&#8221; first.
Maher made the comments on his &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast while speaking with fellow comedian Patton Oswalt, and the two immediately disagreed over how far was &#8220;too far&#8221; when it came to the direction of the American political Left.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Bill Maher *CLASHES* with Actor Patton Oswalt over whether &#8220;DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE TOO FAR LEFT&#8221;🚨
MAHER: &#8220;The Left freaked out about a lot of bullsh*t.&#8221;
OSWALT: &#8220;What did they freak out about?&#8221;
MAHER: &#8220;Gender, race, parenthood, schools, homelessness, crime, the border,… <a href="https://t.co/tT6nRydBgD">pic.twitter.com/tT6nRydBgD</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1990437765972988126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Remember when [Republicans] found the &#8216;damning&#8217; video of AOC dancing and drinking with her friends on the roof in college, and she looks so happy and beautiful and cool,” Oswalt asked. “Oh, they think it&#8217;s ending her career because they never did this. They were never that comfortable to do this.&#8221;
Maher&#8217;s reply was simple: &#8220;Yeah, and if she had some deprogramming, she could be such a fantastic candidate.&#8221;
&#8220;What do you mean deprogramming?” Oswalt seemed taken aback.
&#8220;She’s never going to resonate with people outside of the bubble that she lives in and the very far Left,&#8221; Maher explained. He went on to cite a recent New York Times editorial, adding, &#8220;The only way the Democrats will ever win again …  is to be more moderate.&#8221;
Oswalt disagreed: &#8220;If people think she’s too far Left, then that shows another way this country is broken right now.&#8221;
Maher pushed back, saying that the country wasn&#8217;t &#8220;broken&#8221; — it just wasn&#8217;t as far Left as AOC.
Oswalt argued that if average Americans were not in line with AOC, that was because the country as a whole was not as &#8220;intelligent&#8221; as most people believed, and argued that the Left had followed science rather than blindly adhering to policies.
Maher was not buying that, however, and said so: &#8220;No, they didn’t! … they think gender bull***t that they went way too far with. That’s not scientific.&#8221;

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Season 11

Bill Maher: AOC Would Be A Great Candidate — With Some ‘Deprogramming’ First

Bill Maher: AOC Would Be A Great Candidate — With Some 'Deprogramming' First

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

comedian

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher predicted on Friday that New York City&#8217;s mayor-elect — who identifies as a Democratic socialist — may be &#8220;the future of the party,&#8221; just not the party most people might think.
Maher argued that Mamdani, who ran for office and was elected as a Democrat, would likely promote policies that would ultimately do more to boost the Republican Party than the Democratic Party.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDemocrats</a> must recognize that Zohran Mamdani is the party&#8217;s future, but unfortunately, it&#8217;s the Republican Party. <a href="https://t.co/XTgr0YNULa">pic.twitter.com/XTgr0YNULa</a>
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) <a href="https://twitter.com/billmaher/status/1989549473601880067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;New rule,&#8221; Maher began. &#8220;Democrats must recognize that Zohran Mamdani is the future of the party — unfortunately, it&#8217;s the Republican Party.&#8221;
There was a long pause then, followed by uncomfortable laughter.
&#8220;Get it?&#8221; Maher asked, and the laughs picked up volume. &#8220;And if you missed his victory speech in last week&#8217;s mayoral election in New York, don&#8217;t worry: you&#8217;ll see it in every attack ad for the next two years.&#8221;
Maher went on to say that he did not have any personal beef with the democratic socialist — but he wasn&#8217;t so keen on joining his party in its increasingly-rapid slide into the full-on embrace of socialism, and he didn&#8217;t see it succeeding in the United States.
&#8220;But before the whole left side of the country catches socialism fever, let&#8217;s listen to the other big winner in last Tuesday&#8217;s election, Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger — who, before the &#8217;24 election, said things like, &#8216;If the party didn&#8217;t shift to the center, we will get f***ing torn apart,'&#8221; Maher continued. &#8220;And, &#8216;We need to never use the word socialist or socialism ever again.&#8217; Well, she was right, but they didn&#8217;t listen. Typical. Am I right, ladies?&#8221;
Maher then pointed out that the younger generations felt like they&#8217;d been failed by capitalism. &#8220;They&#8217;re quiet-quitting capitalism and texting socialism that they&#8217;re &#8216;down to f***.&#8217; The thing is, socialism will f*** you because socialism, to put it simply, just doesn&#8217;t work and has never worked. Like Kevin Federline.&#8221;
&#8220;I know the kids think that stuff that happened before their appearance on the planet didn&#8217;t really happen, but it did,&#8221; Maher added, referencing the failures and accompanying death toll of socialism. &#8220;We&#8217;ve run this experiment many times, and the results are always obvious.&#8221;
The results, he explained by citing Venezuela as an example, were almost always the same: wealthy, developed nations rapidly descending into chaos and widespread poverty.
&#8220;If you think New York can somehow reinvent this wheel, you&#8217;re in for a rude awokening,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Zohran can&#8217;t make your wishes come true. You&#8217;re thinking of Zoltar. Democratic socialism is like a dating profile: things look great until you meet up in the real world.&#8221;

Bill Maher: Zohran Mamdani Is The Party’s Future. The Republican Party, That Is.

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