Bill Maher told Vice President JD Vance that his vote could be “in play” in the 2028 presidential race, while criticizing several prominent Democrats — including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Kamala Harris — for steering clear of his show.
Maher, the liberal host of HBO’s “Real Time,” said Friday that Democrats risk losing support from moderates like him if the party continues moving toward what he described as socialism.
“Like, if this is where the Democratic Party is going, where this Democratic socialist, this obsession with Israel, with the Jew hating, they don’t believe in capitalism, no prisons. If this is where they’re going, my vote is in play,” Maher told Vance.
The comedian and political commentator said he has never viewed himself as someone who votes strictly by party affiliation, insisting he has always tried to choose the candidate he believes is the stronger option.
“It actually always has been. Every year, I don’t make my decision by who has an R or a D, I actually always came to the conclusion that the Democrat was probably better and voted for them,” he said.
Maher said he could not identify who might emerge as the next clear leader of the Democratic Party, while suggesting Republicans may have a more obvious field of contenders.
“So it’s either going to be you or Rubio,” Maher told Vance, after making a joke about former President Donald Trump and term limits.
Vance appeared with Maher for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, immigration policy and the Trump administration.
Maher praised Vance for appearing on the show after the veep received a warm welcome from the audience and quipped, “I’m sure it’s the only applause I will get.”
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“I’m just glad you’re talking to me, you know?” Maher told Vance. “I mean, I say it every time, the Republicans come here and they take their beating like a man.”
“It’s the people I vote for, they’re the ones who won’t talk to me! That’s odd, isn’t it?” Maher asked.
Vance questioned if there was a chance that Mamdani-backed Darializa Avila Chevalier would make an appearance on the show any time soon.
Maher, who had comedian Larry Wilmore and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Friday’s show, said “No’ as he claimed that Mamdani, Harris and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have refused to show up.
“I can’t get AOC, I can’t get Mamdani, I couldn’t get Kamala Harris. Took me eight years to get Obama!” Maher said.
Chevalier, a Democratic Socialist of America member, defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espillat in the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old community organizer was among several Mamdani-backed candidates to cruise to victory in the Big Apple’s primaries.
During their interview, Maher and Vance discussed the ongoing conflict with Iran, as the Vice President argued America will win either way against the Islamic Republic.
“If we don’t make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed, they’re still much weaker as a country,” Vance said. “So my attitude is America wins either way.”
Both Vance and Rubio, former senators before elevating to their posts in the Trump administration, have been key figures for the 80-year-old commander in chief, with the vice president having traveled to Switzerland for high-stakes meetings with Iranian officials.
