Maher Ponders Early Retirement if Trump Wins 2024
Could a second Trump presidency spell the end of HBO’s satirical talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher? During a recent recording of his podcast, Club Random with actress Jane Fonda, host Bill Maher expressed anxieties about a potential Trump reelection victory.
"It’s hard to believe," Maher admitted frankly. The conversation, recorded prior to the 2024 election, revealed a palpable sense of apprehension from the comedian. "I may quit," he confided, "because I don’t want to do another four years talking about him."
Maher, a vocal critic of Trump since his early days in politics, emphasized his long-standing scrutiny of the former president. "I did Trump," he stated. "I did all the Trump stuff before anybody. I called him a con man before anybody. I did. He’s a mafia boss. I was the one who said he wasn’t going to concede the election. I’ve done it."
Fonda then probed, questioning why Trump seemed particularly antagonistic towards Jimmy Kimmel but not Maher.
"He’s very hostile to me," Maher responded. “He tweets about me every week. Every week he accidentally watches my show and then [writes], ‘Low ratings, loser,’" he said in a spot-on imitation of Trump’s voice.
Maher’s potential departure from Real Time comes after 20 successful seasons hosting the show, which has become a staple of political commentary and humorous insight. While the show was renewed through 2026 just last year, Maher expressed the sentiment that Trump’s potential return to the political stage would dominate the news cycle in a way he found daunting.
"There’s no other thing," he stated, "and he’s going to dominate the news like he always does."
As of now, HBO has not commented on Maher’s statements about a possible departure from Real Time.
