Bill Maher said on Saturday’s episode of HBO’s “Real Time” that he considered former Rep. Eric Swalwell “a f*cking creep,” as Swalwell’s political standing unraveled this month following public allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape—claims he has denied while acknowledging unspecified “mistakes in judgment.”
Bill Maher weighed in Saturday night on allegations involving former Rep. Eric Swalwell, saying on HBO’s “Real Time” that Swalwell set off what Maher called his “creepdar.”
“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 said, according to a clip posted April 18 by journalist Jason Cohen.
Maher used the moment to argue that prominent figures can be the subject of widely circulated private rumors long before accusations become public scandals. He compared the dynamic to past controversies involving Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein and, in a historical example, John F. Kennedy, asking why it can take years for “open secrets” to reach broader public scrutiny.
Swalwell, a California Democrat who became a frequent cable news presence during the Trump years, has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims of rape and sexual assault reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN and later covered by other outlets. In public statements, Swalwell has said he is “deeply sorry” for “mistakes in judgment” but has denied the most serious allegations.
The allegations triggered a rapid political fallout. Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on April 12, 2026, and announced plans to resign from Congress on April 13, 2026, amid bipartisan calls for him to step aside and as the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the matter.
Separately, Politico reported that Swalwell had built a reputation among some political insiders for “unsavory and sometimes unwanted behavior toward women,” describing what it called longstanding “whisper networks.” Former Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo also warned in a social media post—later deleted—that Swalwell’s past behavior would surface during his gubernatorial run; Trujillo said he removed the post after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Swalwell’s campaign.
