Charmagne Tha God got into a heated exchange with late-night host Bill Maher on Friday as the two debated who will be his radio personality of the night come November.
As the rematch between President Biden and former President Trump approaches, Maher asked the “Breakfast Club” radio host in an interview how he felt, saying he knows Charmagne has no intention of endorsing the sitting president.
“I’m not endorsing anybody,” he countered, adding, “But that doesn’t mean I won’t vote.”
The “Real Time with Bill Maher” host pressed him further, asking why he wouldn’t at least say he favors Biden over Trump if both were on the ballot.
“But Bill, every time I have these conversations or appear on these shows, I say the same thing about Donald Trump,” he said in the interview. Mediaite highlights“I think Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. I think he led an attempted coup in this country. He tried to abolish the Constitution in order to overturn the results of an election.”
“I’m saying I’m voting to protect democracy,” Charmagne, born Leonard McKelvey, added, indicating he would support Biden over the former president. “Does the way I just said it sound like I’m voting for Donald Trump?”
Maher became even more heated when he pressed the radio host on why he didn’t speak up. Charmagne didn’t take the bait, instead asking why he didn’t press others on the issue.
“I watched your show a few weeks ago. I saw Ken Burke was on here. Ken Burke said he doesn’t support Trump or Biden, he’s not going to vote for them. You never contradicted him about that? Nothing,” he claimed, to which Maher replied, “I contradict him about that all the time.”
The tense interview came just weeks after the TV personality accused Trump of leading a “coup” in an interview with Fox News, referencing his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He also defended his decision not to endorse Biden in 2024, despite having backed him in 2020.
“The fact of the matter is, I think both candidates are trash,” he said during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” in late May.
“If I think both candidates are no good and I’m not interested in supporting one or the other, would I rather support the individual or the fact that we have to go out and defend our democracy?” he asked his co-hosts at the time.
