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Bill Maher Casts Doubt On Disgraced NY Gov’s New Political Bid

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Bill Maher
Photo Credit: Angela George, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Bill Maher doesn’t believe that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has a shot at winning the upcoming New York City mayor race, due to lingering controversy from his administration’s early COVID-19 policies.

The host of HBO’s “Real Time,” didn’t hold back his doubts about Cuomo’s political comeback during a conversation with Cuomo’s brother, former CNN star Chris Cuomo, on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast.

While recent polling shows Andrew Cuomo leading the Democratic field and even outpacing current Mayor Eric Adams, who left the Democratic Party to run as an independent, Maher pointed to the former governor’s pandemic record as could be too large of a roadblock electoral success.

“I don’t think he’s going to get past the nursing home thing,” Maher remarked.

He said Cuomo would have to fully own that decision if he wants to move forward.

Maher added that politics can be unforgiving: “One boner decision can make people go, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t trust that guy’s judgment.’ Or they don’t. I don’t know what the f— will happen.”

Chris Cuomo offered a different perspective, arguing that while the nursing home scandal is significant, it might not be the deciding factor.

“I think he’s got a lot pressure against him within that party,” he said. “And they’re going to have to make a decision whether they want to be in power or they want to police their own set of beliefs within their party. I mean, that’s what they have to decide. What are they about as a party?”

The controversy stems from a March 2020 executive order during the height of the pandemic that required nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients in order to alleviate overcrowded hospitals.

Critics argue the policy contributed to the virus’s spread in nursing homes, resulting in higher death tolls.

A 2022 audit by New York’s comptroller found the Cuomo administration underreported nursing home deaths by as much as 50% and lacked transparency.

Cuomo resigned from the governorship in 2021 amid separate sexual harassment allegations, which he continues to deny.

Despite these controversies, Cuomo’s political base still includes high-profile supporters. Music legend Billy Joel has donated $50,000 through his trust to a pro-Cuomo Super PAC called “Fix The City,” according to state filings reported by the New York Post.

Joel, a longtime friend of Cuomo and the godfather to one of Joel’s daughters, previously appeared on Cuomo’s “Matter of Fact” podcast after his resignation.

Joel is not the only big-name backer. The Super PAC has pulled in over $4 million in contributions from prominent figures including IAC chairman Barry Diller and hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, each giving $250,000.

While Cuomo weighs a return to politics,Maher has drawn fire from some on the left for his recent visit with Trump at the White House.

Comedian D.L. Hughley, appearing on TMZ Live, accused Maher of aligning with Trump’s ideology on issues like woke culture and criticized the comedian for what he described as antagonism toward black Americans.

Hughley claimed that Trump is “transactional” and suggested Maher must have had a purpose in visiting Trump.

“He’s not the kind of man who does things for giggles and laughs,” the comedian claimed.

He argued that Maher’s rhetoric on topics like wokeism mirrors Trump’s talking points.

“I think he’s been a vociferous opponent of woke,” Hughley continued. “I can’t even differentiate some of the things that the administration said about woke phenomenon and his, so I think they have a lot in common.”

TMZ host Harvey Levin pushed back, pointing out that Maher has regularly criticized Trump over the years, although they both oppose what they view as extreme iterations of woke ideology.

“Why do you have to paint someone as 100 percent wrong?” Levin asked. “You might agree with them on one thing or another, why not say it, because you have more credibility about the things you disagree with if you can say that.”

Hughley insisted that Maher’s criticisms are part of a broader trend to “erase” black contributions from history and society.

Hughley alleged that Maher has been a central figure in fostering resentment toward diversity programs, claiming Maher has contributed to a cultural environment that devalues achievements by minorities.

“It’s easy for a lot of Americans to not take this personally because it’s not their history that is being dismantled… and he had a lot to do with that,” he claimed about Maher.

“I think a lot of the things that he said are not discernibly different than what Trump said.”

The comedian portrayed Maher as someone disconnected from everyday struggles, describing him as a wealthy, white man who remains unaffected by the consequences of political decisions.

“There is nothing that Trump can do or has done that’ll affects you on the margins,” he went on. “So, you get to be glib, you get to be neutral.”

“I resent that my history is being dismantled at the behest of people like Bill Maher and I take it personally,” Hughley said.

After his White House visit, Maher told Chris Cuomo that Trump remains “one of the most effective politicians,” regardless of how people view him personally. Maher recounted two instances that impressed him.

“When he did that thing where the guy came in from the Taliban and he said, ‘This is an aerial picture of your house. If during our withdrawal one American is hurt, just know I know where you live,'” Maher recalled.

“I was like, oh can we just play the music now? Because I don’t care it’s Donald Trump and he’s the worst person ever, blah, blah, blah – I f***ing love that!”

The second example Maher highlighted was Trump defending New York with the line: “When you come after New York, you got to go through me.”

“You know, he has those moments that no other politician has. And the Democrats have to find that guy,” Maher concluded. “But let’s be real – they’ve been searching for years and they’re still coming up empty.”

What the full episode of Chris Cuomo’s appearance on “Club Random” here:

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