President Donald Trump criticized comedian Bill Maher in a late Saturday post on Truth Social after watching Maher’s HBO interview with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling Maher a “MORON” and urging Fox News and other conservative outlets to stop featuring him.
President Donald Trump escalated his long-running feud with comedian Bill Maher over the weekend, attacking the HBO host in a Truth Social post after Maher interviewed California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In the post, Trump complained that Fox News and other conservative outlets “constantly” make “Low Rated Bill Maher” “relevant,” arguing that Maher is “weak and ineffective” and should not be treated as a spokesperson for conservatives. Trump also referenced what he described as a dinner with Maher at the White House, claiming Maher appeared “nervous” and “scared” and asked, “Can I have a drink?” upon entering the Oval Office—an exchange Trump said was “endearing” but “absolutely pathetic.”
Trump said he watched Newsom’s appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher the night before and accused Maher of failing to challenge Newsom. In the post, Trump used derogatory language for Newsom and claimed the governor “took [Maher] ‘over the coals,’” leaving Maher “defenseless” and “totally deficient.”
Trump also repeated a series of criticisms about California in the post, including claims about homelessness in Los Angeles and San Francisco and criticism of the state’s high-speed rail effort as a “catastrophe” that is billions of dollars over budget. He further asserted that 25,000 homes destroyed by a fire had not been rebuilt because Newsom “refused to allow water” to reach affected areas, and he credited Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and his own administration with helping enable rebuilding.
Trump concluded by urging Fox News directly to stop featuring Maher, writing: “DON’T USE BILL MAHER ANY LONGER AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOU!” He added: “Bill Maher is a MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.”
The post came amid a separate dispute involving ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. In recent days, Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for Kimmel to be fired after Kimmel joked that Melania Trump had “the glow of an expectant widow.” The comments drew renewed attention after authorities said an armed man attempted to enter the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 26, 2026. Kimmel later said the line was intended as a “light roast” about the couple’s age difference and “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.”
