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Bill Maher Says California Will Never Vote Republican While Trump Leads the Party
ReBill Maher Says California Will Never Vote Republican While Trump Leads the Party
Comedian Bill Maher argued that California voters will keep electing Democrats despite policy failures as long as President Donald Trump remains tied to the Republican Party, pointing to education outcomes and warning of a one-party trap.
Comedian and podcast host Bill Maher said California voters will never elect a Republican as long as President Donald Trump remains associated with the party, arguing that the state's deep-blue electorate has grown willing to accept policy failures rather than support the GOP. Maher made the comments during an interview on his «Club Random» podcast with musician David Foster, according to remarks circulated Monday.
Maher pointed to Spencer Pratt, a Republican who finished third in Los Angeles' mayoral race and did not advance to the general election, as evidence that some voters recognize California's «failed system.» Maher agreed with that assessment, saying the state's partisan divide has become so entrenched that voters will overlook poor outcomes.
«It just shows that, in this state, I guess everywhere, we're so bipartisan now, that we will accept failure, which we plainly have here in California, over voting for the party of Trump,» Maher said. He added that he understands the sentiment because Trump «does a lot of things» that repel voters, listing criticisms including vulgarity, corruption, refusing to concede elections, and what Maher described as inept execution of policies he sometimes agreed with in principle, such as border enforcement and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
«As long as he's there, this state will never vote for a Republican, no matter how bad the Democrat gets. And that is a bad place to be,» Maher continued. The host has repeatedly criticized California's Democratic leadership, particularly on education and energy policy, arguing that Republican-led states are outperforming California on issues Democrats traditionally campaign on.
Psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert told Fox News Digital that the dynamic Maher describes is not limited to California or the Democratic Party. «This isn't just a California or Democratic problem. Republicans can fall into the same trap,» Alpert said. «Once politics becomes part of your identity, it's remarkably easy to excuse things from your own side that you'd be furious about if the other side did them. That's the bigger problem Maher is getting at. If politicians know you'll vote for them no matter what, why should they be afraid of failing you?»
Maher also weighed in on government-run grocery stores, comparing them to what he said they looked like in Cuba and the Soviet Union. «I don't think we should have government-run grocery stores. I remember what they looked like in Cuba and the Soviet Union. It wasn't great. You know, kids, we tried this s---,» he said. Both Maher and Foster agreed the model does not work.
The comments come amid a broader debate over California's policy direction. Maher has been openly critical of California Democrats, including during a July episode of his «Real Time» show, when he argued that Mississippi and Texas are outperforming the deep-blue state on education and green energy. «Democrats, these are your issues: education, race, the environment,» Maher said at the time. «And I say this with love: you're losing to the Waffle House, car-on-the-lawn states.»
Maher specifically cited fourth-grade results for Black students, saying a Black fourth grader in Mississippi is 2.5 times as likely to be proficient in math and reading as one in California. «Mississippi is kicking our a-- in education and for way less money. We're 37th in fourth-grade reading. They're ninth,» he said. He referenced a New York Times article stating that a Black Mississippi child is two and a half times as likely to be proficient in reading by fourth grade as a Black California child.
Data from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Programs show Black fourth-graders in Mississippi at 19% proficient and 2% advanced in reading, compared with 7% proficient and 1% advanced in California. In fourth-grade math, Mississippi's Black students were listed at 22% proficient and 2% advanced, compared with 10% proficient and 1% advanced in California.
Maher's remarks highlight a growing tension within California politics, where Democrats hold every statewide office and dominate the legislature. Critics argue that one-party control can breed complacency, while supporters say the state's policies reflect the values of its diverse electorate. The debate over whether voters should hold either party accountable regardless of national figures like Trump is likely to continue as California faces challenges in education, housing, and energy.
