Bill Maher calls Trump one of the 'most effective politicians' because of his authenticity

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Comedian Bill Maher praised President Donald Trump for his unique appeal to voters in an episode of his podcast, arguing he has something other politicians of both parties lack.

Maher has been a frequent critic of Trump over the years, but he has also broken with the left on issues like so-called "woke" identity-politics and the draconian aspects of COVID-19 policy across the country. Maher recently met with the president at the White House in a meeting brokered by musician Kid Rock. Kid Rock said Trump took the group, including Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White, on a tour and chatted about their commonalities like "ending wokeness" and "securing the border."

On Sunday, Maher's "Club Random" podcast released an episode where he spoke with news host Chris Cuomo and praised Trump for his unique ability to appeal to Americans in a way most politicians cannot. The episode was taped before Maher's White House visit.

"Trump really is one of the most effective politicians, whether whatever you think of the policy and him as a person, just as a politician, just understanding that - always lean in to being more who you are - the people are not savvy about issues, but they smell a phony a mile away. And that kind of s---? Nobody else does it," Maher said.

Bill Maher acknowledged Trump's unique appeal compared to other politicians on the left and right. (Club Random Podcast YouTube Channel)

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Maher noted that while he has been one of Trump’s biggest critics, there are nonetheless times when he thinks, "Oh man, I got to give it up," and praises him.

One example Maher summarized was when "He did that thing when the guy came in from the Taliban, and he said, ‘This is an aerial picture of your house, if during our withdrawal one American is hurt, just know I know where you live.’ I was like ‘Oh, can we just play the music now?' Because I don't care 'it's Donald Trump, and he's the worst person ever,' blah blah blah, I f---ing love that."

Maher cited another anecdote during the 2016 GOP primary where Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, mocked Trump for having "New York values" and Trump responded, "When you want to knock New York, you’ve got to go through me."

"It’s like ‘Oh, Hometown boy,’" Maher said, praising him for defending his origins. "You know, he has those moments that no other politician has, and the Democrats have to find that guy."

U.S. President Donald Trump listens as entertainer Kid Rock speaks during an executive order signing event in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Maher argued that a key issue for the Democratic Party is that they lack an "alpha" leader.

"Democrats have to come up with an alpha, and it’s not Tim Walz," Maher said, comparing the 2024 vice-presidential hopeful to stereotypical goofy dads in commercials.

Maher argued, "You’ve got to appeal to people at a sort of post-civilization stage, where we’re kind of at, on a primal level, you just do, and Trump does it better than anybody."