Overview

• On his August 22 broadcast, Maher outlined what he called steps of a slow-motion power grab, including masked policing, street snatchings, and routine National Guard or military patrols.
• He referenced Washington, D.C., where Trump has deployed the National Guard and federalized local police, with HuffPost noting six states have sent Guard units that the president can place under federal control.
• Maher argued Democrats could win votes yet still be denied power, predicting the next attempted coup would "go off a lot smoother than the last one."
• He said Trump uses spectacle to distract from longer-term moves, pointing to the president handing out pizza to federalized law enforcement as the security footprint expanded.
• Reaction on social media ranged from criticism of Maher's earlier dinner with Trump to Democratic activists amplifying his warning, as HuffPost also highlighted a reported Trump joke about suspending the 2028 election.