Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to assail Maher, claiming the Real Time host was "eaten up" during his conversation with Newsom on Friday. The president alleged that Newsom made false claims about California's performance and that Maher failed to challenge him substantively. Trump also declared that Maher's ratings "SUCK," without specifying which metrics or time periods he referenced.
The Sunday post marked the second consecutive day Trump criticized Maher publicly. On Saturday, the president had issued a lengthier social media tirade, calling Maher a "MORON" who "choked" the Newsom interview. Trump drew on their White House dinner meeting last year to characterize Maher as "weak and ineffective," recounting that the comedian had nervously requested a drink upon entering the Oval Office.
According to available data, Maher's program has averaged between 500,000 and 600,000 viewers in recent months. The specifics of Trump's claims about the show's ratings decline were not detailed in his posts.
During the Friday interview, Maher pressed Newsom on several policy matters. He challenged the governor over California's high-speed rail project, which has required tens of billions in funding while remaining substantially incomplete. Maher also questioned Newsom about gas prices and rental costs, citing these as examples where critics would argue the state's performance had faltered. The host additionally confronted Newsom over what he described as the governor "imitating" Trump's social media approach.
Fox News commentators who discussed the Maher-Newsom conversation characterized the interview differently than Trump did. Dr. Marc Siegel and co-host Tomi Lahren praised Maher for pressing Newsom on his record, with Lahren noting she appreciated how the host questioned the governor's responses.
