During California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s last appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” in 2025, the titular host took pains to grill his governor on what he felt were the many needless layers of bureaucracy in the Golden State — namely, that he was forced to pay for two roof inspections on his home following the wildfires that ravaged the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
“Why do I need two inspections, which I have to pay for?!” exclaimed the comedian. “You were here last time. We talked about regulations. You said, ‘Oh, it’s a completely new day… You said you were working on it.”
That’s about as testy as things got. Maher is a big fan of Newsom’s overall, having repeatedly urged him to run for president in 2028 and cheering on his social media trolling of President Trump. Plus, they have the exact same hairstyle.
On Friday night, Newsom returned to the late-night HBO show to promote his memoir “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.” Maher was a bit tougher on his pal than he’s been in the past.
Maher kicked off their sit-down chat by asking Newsom about how high the temperature’s been raised in American politics given the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“What did [Trump] do the day after [the assassination attempt]? He talked about the beach photo and the indictment of one of his enemies,” Newsom replied, referencing Trump going after former FBI director James Comey over an innocuous photo of arranged seashells he posted. “He’s not doing anything to try to unite this country in any way, shape, or form. To me, that’s the biggest reflection of this moment — just the sewer we’re now living in because of Donald Trump.”
Then Maher dug his heels in: “But many people would say that you are imitating him… You are the one who kind of imitates his style with the trolling. You’re suing Fox now, I understand.”
“Fox better look to settle right now or apologize for defamation,” Newsom shot back.
“OK but that sounds exactly like what he does,” offered Maher. “Suing media?” Trump since 2024 has forced big media companies, including Disney and Paramount, into rich settlements over frivolous lawsuits.
Newsom was undeterred: “Well, don’t defame, don’t lie,” he said of his suit against Fox News.
“That does sound like him,” Maher reiterated.