President Donald Trump took aim once again at HBO host Bill Maher on Sunday, criticizing his handling of a recent interview with California Governor Gavin Newsom and taking a swipe at the show’s viewership.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that Maher was outmatched during the conversation, claiming the host was “eaten up” by Newsom when the governor spoke positively about California’s performance. Trump accused Maher of failing to challenge what he described as inaccurate claims, suggesting the exchange lacked the kind of pushback he believes was warranted.
“Bill Maher got ‘eaten up’ by Gavin Newscum when Newscum said how well California is doing, A COMPLETE LIE, and Bill Maher never challenged him, not even a little bit,” Trump wrote, adding that Maher’s ratings “SUCK!”
The president’s criticism comes on the heels of a longer post the day before, in which he escalated his rhetoric, calling Maher a “MORON” and accusing him of “choking” during the high-profile interview. Trump also took issue with coverage of the segment, including by Fox News, reflecting his broader frustration with how the exchange has been discussed in the media.
Trump framed his critique in part through his own past interaction with Maher, recalling a dinner at the White House the two shared last year. According to the president, that meeting left him unimpressed, describing Maher as nervous and lacking confidence.
The central focus of Trump’s criticism, however, remained the interview itself. He argued that despite his low opinion of Newsom, the California governor managed to dominate the conversation. Trump took particular issue with remarks about the state’s performance, asserting that Maher failed to adequately press Newsom on issues he believes are widely debated.
The segment in question has drawn mixed reactions. While Trump portrayed the exchange as one-sided, others saw moments where Maher did challenge Newsom. During the interview, Maher pointed to criticisms often directed at California, including concerns about gas prices, housing costs, and the state’s high-speed rail project, which has faced scrutiny over its cost and progress.
Maher even urged Newsom directly to reconsider the rail effort, telling him, “you gotta let the train go,” framing the comment as advice from a friend rather than a political attack. At another point, he confronted the governor over his social media approach, suggesting parallels with Trump’s own style.
Some commentators praised Maher for those moments. On Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show, guest host Dr. Marc Siegel and co-host Tomi Lahren highlighted instances where Maher pressed Newsom on key issues, with Lahren saying she appreciated how the host questioned what she described as the governor’s tone and responses.
The back-and-forth reflects a broader dynamic in today’s media and political landscape, where interviews are often scrutinized not just for what is said, but for how forcefully it is challenged. Trump’s remarks underscore his expectation that media figures take a more aggressive approach when engaging political opponents.
At the same time, the episode illustrates how even direct questioning can be interpreted differently depending on perspective. What one side views as insufficient pushback, another may see as substantive engagement.
As the reactions continue, the clash between Trump and Maher serves as another example of the ongoing tension between political leaders and media personalities — a relationship that remains as combative as ever, with each side quick to call out what it sees as bias or failure.
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