Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher criticized leading Democrats — including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — for being too “afraid” to appear on his talk show Real Time, saying Republicans “take their beating like a man,” while Democrats repeatedly decline his invitations.
“They Say No Every Week”
“People ask me all the time, ‘Why haven’t you ever had Hillary or Bill Clinton on? Why didn’t you have Kamala on during the last campaign?’” Maher said during Friday’s broadcast. “You think we don’t ask? We ask these people every week. They say no.
“It took eight years and a petition to get Obama on. And these are people, all people I voted for. Think about that. They’re afraid to come on the show of a guy who voted for them. The Republicans, they show up. When they do, they take their beating like a man.”
WATCH: Bill Maher HUMILIATES Democrats like Hillary & Kamala for being too scared to come on his show, while Republicans show up no matter what.
“You think we don’t ask?!”
“We ask these people every week; they say NO.”
“It took eight years and a petition to get Obama on.”… pic.twitter.com/yAzRvwuxUG
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 16, 2025
Wants AOC, Warren, and Mamdani
Maher added that he “would love” for Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to appear, but said he can’t compel them.
“Look, I would love to have AOC on the show and Mandani and Elizabeth Warren, but I can’t subpoena the guests,” Maher said.
“And I can’t fix that what the Democrats are scared of, more than anything else… is being primaried from the far-left, even though most Democrats are not far-left. They’re mild-mannered and moderate, at least in my bathhouse.”
In fairness, Warren appeared on Real Time six times between 2009 and 2017, but she has not returned since Trump’s first presidency.
Newsom the Exception
Maher noted that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of the few prominent Democrats willing to face tough questions, recalling Newsom’s March appearance when the governor was pressed about California’s red tape.
During that exchange, Maher complained he had to pay for “two inspections” to repair his roof after the Palisades Fire. “It’s my roof. If it falls on my head, that’s my problem. Why do I need two inspections, which I have to pay for?” Maher asked.
“Democrats Could Win More”
Maher closed by arguing Democrats would benefit electorally if they stopped avoiding tough interviews. He cited Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who warned earlier this year that Democrats need to shed their “weak and woke” image and “retake the flag.”
“She’s right,” Maher said. “People vote on instinct. They can smell fear a swing state away.”
