Bill Maher’s 2024 presidential race predictions

It's not me who has changed. It is the left that is now made up of a small contingent that has gone crazy and a large contingent that refuses to call them out for it. But I'll do it. Do you think Democratic politicians have changed their views, or do you think they're just afraid of their party's activists in the same way that many Republicans are afraid of their party's activists, the MAGA people? They are afraid. They are simply afraid. Yeah, I think both sides I think, again, these tribes fought, I think in this country, I think there are old-school liberals and old-school conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, the kind of people who used to.

I think it's the majority of the country, like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush or something like that. Yes, the kind of people who never agreed on many things, but found ways to work together. They didn't hate each other. It wasn't just about making liberal tears cry and all that and, you know, possessing and destroying people. I just, yeah, I don't agree with Bob Dole, but, you know, we can work together. We can get a great deal and that kind of thing. And so I think that's the majority. But then there are the Trumpers and then there are the jokers and you know, those fringes are not doing this country any great favors.

If Donald Trump is challenged for the nomination, I mean, he's obviously already being challenged by Governor Haley, Nikki Haley. And then you talk about other people, like Governor DeSantis, Mike Pompeo and others, Vice President Pence. Do you think any of them can finish him off? No, but I think what they will do is secure the nomination for him by dividing all the alternates. Absolutely. The same thing that happened before. Yeah. The only way Trump doesn't get that nomination is if it's just him and the Sanders, if there's a group of people there, knowing that they're going to split the anti-Trump vote because, you know, Trump has a very tough stance. . following.

I mean, it's a cult. And sects never disappear. Look at Christianity. So that exasperates me because I think that when politicians smell the White House, they don't care about the repercussions for the country. They just want to do it. The dissent is against Trump, I think he could get it. You know, someone once told me, a conservative guy, what you guys don't understand about us is that we don't really like Trump. Now, that doesn't speak for all Trumpers. He definitely has some real fans. Oh, of course. But there are many people who voted for him and that is his little secret.

We don't like it either. We simply voted for him because the things you are doing outside of him scare us more than what he is doing, which is saying a lot. And I don't entirely agree with them, but I understand. Yeah, I think it's also that he hates the same people they hate, even if they don't agree. Yes. And they love it when you stick your thumb in their eye. Yes. Do you think DeSantis is part of the old school Republican tribe, or do you think he's more of a Trumper to point out that's the big question?

I don't know if he's playing a role or if it's really him. You know, he's the reason he's so effective because he does two things at once. He may be a real old-school Republican who just takes care of business, you know, COVID, the hurricane, things like that. He just takes care of his business. He doesn't do crazy things. But then when he wants to throw red meat at the base, he's a performance artist and he does a lot of really outrageous things. But I understand that's where the party is. If you want a great future in that party, especially if you want to take on Donald Trump, you need to ride both horses at once.

Everyone keeps telling me, but he has no personality. I don't think people care. Like many politicians they have no personality. Nixon had no personality. I mean, he could name some politicians who have absolutely no personality. It is not a prerequisite. I mean, it's great if you have one. Like Obama had a great one and Kennedy had a great one. But, you know, Biden is not, I mean, James Brown at the Apollo. Exactly. You know, I mean, I don't think that's going to stop Ron DeSantis. You know, it's interesting. I met this couple from Florida, liberal Democrats, and then they told me how much they loved Ron DeSantis, how much they loved him.

And it's for the Florida government. Yes, they were from Florida. Florida people like him he won re-election with almost 60% of the vote. Plus, while the rest of the country was going overboard with COVID Florida, I was there during COVID. It was day and night from this place. And you know, I'm not someone who's ever on the page with COVID paranoia. So I thought it was a breath of fresh air. And the people there, when they visited me here, sometimes told me, My God, in the middle of a pandemic, what are you doing? You live like this and are so unnecessary.

We don't live like that. Good. And it turns out that a lot of what Ron DeSantis did was smarter than what the people criticizing him said. I mean, he kept the beaches open. Yes. You're not going to take it outside. In fact, it's good. Get some fresh air and some sun, that would be better for you. And he also protected the elderly. It was much more specific. It's kind of the opposite of what happened in New York state.