Comedian and podcast host Bill Maher shared his views on California’s political climate in an interview on “Club Random” with David Foster. Maher argued that California’s voters would continually support Democrats, even if their policies are failing, as long as President Donald Trump is linked to the Republican Party.
Maher highlighted Spencer Pratt, a Republican who came third in Los Angeles’ mayoral race. Pratt did not move on to the general election. Maher recognized Pratt’s belief that California has a “failed system,” which he agreed with. Maher said, “We’re so bipartisan now that we will accept failure over voting for the party of Trump.”
Maher criticized Trump for actions he deemed vulgar and corrupt and noted the failures in initiatives such as border control and nuclear disarmament in Iran. Maher further argued that California would never vote for a Republican as long as Trump is part of the party, regardless of how ineffective a Democrat might become.
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert commented to Fox News Digital, “This isn’t just a California or Democratic problem. Republicans can fall into the same trap. Once politics becomes part of your identity, it’s remarkably easy to excuse things from your own side that you’d be furious about if the other side did them.”
Maher also criticized the notion of government-run grocery stores, citing their inefficiency based on past examples from Cuba and the Soviet Union.
In his “Real Time” show, Maher critiqued California’s policies on education and green energy. He contrasted Mississippi’s school outcomes, stating, “Did you know that a Black fourth grader in Mississippi is 2.5 times as likely to be proficient in math and reading as one in California?” This was based on national testing results, which showed concerning disparities.
The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Programs snapshots show Mississippi’s Black fourth-graders at 19% proficient in reading, while California’s were at 7%. In math, Mississippi reported 22% proficiency compared to California’s 10%.
Maher’s statements have sparked discussions about the effectiveness of policies in deeply Democratic states like California.
Fox News’ CJ Womack contributed to this report.