HBO talk show host Bill Maher has sparked controversy again, this time hinting he may end his long-running show, Real Time with Bill Maher, due to his frustration over President-elect Donald Trump’s memes about him.
During a recent episode of his Club Random podcast, Maher discussed Trump’s influence with guest Jane Fonda, a liberal actress and activist.
The conversation took a dramatic turn as Maher vented about the prospect of covering Trump for another four years, expressing exasperation over what he sees as the former president’s overwhelming presence in the media.
NEW: Bill Maher says he ‘may quit’ his -Real Time- show because he doesn’t want to deal with covering Donald Trump
“I’m shitting my pants. I mean, I may quit because I don’t want to do another”
“I did all the Trump stuff before anybody. I said he was a con man before anyone… pic.twitter.com/7leOcGw3H0
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) December 3, 2024
“I’m sh**ting my pants,” Maher exclaimed during the discussion. “I mean, I may quit because I don’t want to do another [Trump cycle]. I did all the Trump stuff before anybody. I called him a con man before anyone else. He’s a mafia boss. I said he wasn’t going to concede the election.”
Despite Fonda’s attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere—suggesting Maher “find a new thing to do”—he remained adamant that his show’s political focus made avoiding Trump impossible.
“The show is the politics; there’s no other thing,” Maher said. “And he’s going to dominate the news like he always does!”
Fonda tried to console Maher by noting Trump’s apparent animosity toward fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, suggesting that Maher might be spared some of the spotlight. However, Maher dismissed the idea, stating that Trump frequently targeted him on social media.
“He tweets about me every week!” Maher said. “I mean, I’m bored with it.”
Maher’s comments come amid a broader shift in late-night television. If he does step away from Real Time, it could signal the start of similar moves from other politically charged hosts, such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, both of whom have built their brands on satirizing Trump and his policies.
While some fans might mourn Maher’s departure, others argue his frustrations highlight a broader issue in media: the overreliance on Trump as a focal point for content.
For Maher, who has long prided himself on being ahead of the curve in political commentary, the prospect of four more years of Trump may be the final straw.
Transcript of the video:
MAHER: I’m sh**ting my pants.
FONDA: It’s hard to believe.
MAHER: I mean, I may quit because I don’t want to do another…I did all the Trump stuff before anybody.
I called him a con man before anyone else; he’s a mafia boss. I said he wasn’t going to concede the election.
I’ve seen this f**king…
FONDA: Then how come he’s so hostile to Jimmy Kimmel and not to you?
MAHER: He’s very hostile to me! He tweets about me every week! I mean, I’m bored with it.
FONDA: So, find a new thing to do.
MAHER: The show is the politics; there’s no other thing, and he’s going to dominate the news like he always does!
