Comedian and podcast host Bill Maher called out deep-blue California on Monday and said the state's voters would always support a Democrat, even if their policies were failing, as long as President Donald Trump was associated with the Republican Party.
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Trump → call → Party
During an interview on "Club Random" with David Foster, Maher argued that California would never vote for a Republican as long as Trump was involved in the party.
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Trump → argue → party
Maher noted Spencer Pratt, a Republican who finished third in Los Angeles' mayoral race and therefore did not advance to the general election, had the instinct that California had a "failed system," and Maher agreed.
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Maher → note → system
"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.
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Maher → show → Trump
"Which, I understand, because he does a lot of things that are I mean, plus, Jesus, I mean, I get a lot of s--- from him for the things I criticize just off the top of my head, vulgar, corrupt, doesn't concede elections, you know, inept at things that sometimes were a good idea to begin with.
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that → understand → things
Close the border, you know, get rid of nuclear weapons in Iran, but f---ed up the execution.
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you → close → execution
"
"As long as he's there, this state will never vote for a Republican, no matter how bad the Democrat gets.
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Democrat → vote → Republican
And that is a bad place to be," he continued.
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he → continue → ?
Psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert told Fox News Digital, "This isn't just a California or Democratic problem.
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This → tell → Digital
Republicans can fall into the same trap.
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Republicans → fall → trap
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.
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side → become → them
That's the bigger problem Maher is getting at.
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Maher → get → ?
If politicians know you'll vote for them no matter what, why should they be afraid of failing you?"
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they → know → you
Maher also compared government-run grocery stores to "what they looked like" in Cuba and the Soviet Union.
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they → compare → Cuba
"I don't think we should have government-run grocery stores.
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we → think → stores
I remember what they looked like in Cuba and the Soviet Union.
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they → remember → Cuba
You know, kids, we tried this s---," Maher said.
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Maher → know → s---
Both Foster and Maher said it "doesn't" work.
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it → say → ?
Maher has been outwardly critical of California's policies, including education.
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Maher → include → education
He was critical of California Democrats during his "Real Time" show in July over education and green energy, arguing that Mississippi and Texas are outperforming the deep-blue state on issues Democrats often campaign on.
"Democrats, these are your issues: education, race, the environment," Maher said.
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Maher → argue → issues
"And I say this with love: you’re losing to the Waffle House, car-on-the-lawn states.
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you → say → lawn
Maher said California’s school outcomes were especially difficult to defend when compared with Mississippi, citing fourth-grade results for Black students.
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outcomes → say → students
"Did you know that a Black fourth grader in Mississippi is 2.5 times as likely to be proficient in math and reading as one in California?" Maher asked.
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Maher → know → California
"Mississippi is kicking our a-- in education and for way less money.
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Mississippi → kick → money
We’re 37th in fourth-grade reading.
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We → ’re → reading
They’re ninth," he said.
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he → ’re → ?
Maher was citing a Feb. 9, 2026 New York Times article which stated, "For anyone familiar with civil rights history, national testing results are astonishing.
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results → cite → history
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."
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child → read → child
The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Programs snapshots show Black fourth-graders in Mississippi at 19% proficient and 2% advanced in reading, compared with 7% proficient and 1% advanced in California.
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snapshots → show → 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.
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students → list → California
Fox News' CJ Womack contributed to this report.
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Womack → contribute → report
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