CNN anchor Dana Bash joined HBO host Bill Maher on Friday’s edition of Real Time to analyze the state of the midterms. At one point, Bash portrayed the Texas Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico as one between someone who has “ethical issues” and one who is a “Christian” who “wears his faith on his sleeve.”
Looking ahead to November, Maher claimed he liked Democrats’ chances, but was hesitant to extrapolate any November outcome to 2028, “So, I don't think there's any way the Democrats can possibly blow this although they will try, but I feel like this election is ‘No, we have to be mad at Trump first’ and then the Democrats will lose the 2028 presidential.”
CNN's Dana Bash talks up James Talarico in the Texas Senate race, "And he's [Ken Paxton] got some ethical issues and James Talarico is Christian and so forth...he wears his faith on his sleeve in a way that he believes will help him."
Bill Maher retorts, "Well, in the Democratic… pic.twitter.com/70lcraLNWU— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) August 22, 2026
Bash began by agreeing with something Maher said earlier about Trump’s endorsement no longer carrying the weight it once did, but adding a caveat, “Except, I agree with you on everything you said about the endorsements. Because I think it's up to ten or 11 now House endorsements, governors endorsements. He did pretty well in races that Republicans who want to win are pissed at him about. Like in Texas, they’re really not sure that Ken Paxton is— I mean, it's Texas so they'll probably win but it's not a shoo in like John Cornyn would’ve been.”
Maher interrupted to clarify, “Very hard right-winger, Ken Paxton, right?”
Bash added, “And he's got some ethical issues” before moving on to Talarico, “James Talarico is—”
Again, Maher interrupted to add, “A young Democrat,” as Bash continued, “Christian and so forth… I mean, he wears his faith on his sleeve in a way that he believes will help him.”
Of course, Bash omitted all of Talarico's crazy beliefs that are at odds with Christian teachings, but the liberal athiest Maher was not going to be the one who pointed that out. However, Maher did manage to make a different keen observation, “Well, in the Democratic Party as long as that faith isn't Jewish, you’re good.”
Bash replied, “Which—well, you said it, but—” as Maher quipped, “I said it because it's true.”
Maher’s observation about the Democratic Party’s degeneration into anti-Semitism was just one reason why he was not ready to assume Democrats will win in 2028. Elsewhere on Friday’s Real Time, Maher continued his denunciations of the party’s newfound affinity for socialism and communism.
In a panel discussion with the NYT’s Jeremy Peters and CNN’s Dana Bash, Bill Maher discussed Democratic Socialists and noted, “And they like communism. I proved it here a couple of weeks ago by just quoting them. They used the word a lot. They're not trying to hide it, although… pic.twitter.com/CPBDHRodIB
— Nick (@nspin310) August 22, 2026
Here is a transcript for the August 21 show:
HBO Real Time with Bill Maher
8/21/2026
10:27 PM ET
BILL MAHER: So, I don't think there's any way the Democrats can possibly blow this although they will try, but I feel like this election—
DANA BASH: Yeah.
MAHER: — is “No, we have to be mad at Trump first” and then the Democrats will lose the 2028 presidential.
BASH: Except, I agree with you on everything you said about the endorsements. Because I think it's up to ten or 11 now House endorsements, governors endorsements. He did pretty well in races that Republicans who want to win are pissed at him about. Like in Texas, they’re really not sure that Ken Paxton is— I mean, it's Texas so they'll probably win but it's not a shoo in like John Cornyn would’ve been.
BILL MAHER: Very hard right-winger, Ken Paxton, right?
BASH: And he's got some ethical issues and James Talarico is—
MAHER: A young Democrat.
BASH: Christian and so forth.
MAHER: Well.
BASH: Well, I mean, he wears his faith on his sleeve in a way that he believes will help him.
MAHER: Well, in the Democratic Party as long as that faith isn't Jewish, you’re good.
BASH: Which—well, you said it, but—
MAHER: I said it because it's true.
