Overview
- On his Club Random podcast, Maher said he stopped touring because the political climate makes live shows feel unsafe, adding he could be shot by the left or the right and citing travel fatigue and diminishing appeal to younger crowds.
- In a CNN interview, he said he could vote GOP only if Republicans abandon the refusal to concede elections, while arguing Trump identified real problems on the border, NATO spending, trade and DEI but pushed solutions too far.
- Maher argued Democrats have moved too far left, listing gender, race, schools, homelessness, crime, the border and education as areas where he believes the party abandoned common sense and scientific reasoning.
- He said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could be a fantastic presidential candidate only after ideological deprogramming to appeal beyond the far left, a point he debated with guest Patton Oswalt.
- Warning of electoral backlash, he cited what he called socialist mayoral wins in New York and Seattle, naming Zohran Mamdani and Katie Wilson as examples of leadership he believes is out of step with the country.