• Bill Maher compared Donald Trump to Taylor Swift during Friday’s Real Time monologue, calling the president an “authoritarian Taylor Swift” for targeting his enemies.
• The comedian praised Trump’s role in the Israel-Hamas deal before launching into criticism of his retribution campaign and the upcoming No Kings protests.
• Maher mocked Trump’s denial of being a king while noting he openly reads his enemies list, unlike Nixon who kept his secret.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (TDR) — Comedian Bill Maher delivered a scathing monologue Friday night comparing President Donald Trump to pop superstar Taylor Swift over his relentless pursuit of political enemies, calling him an “authoritarian Taylor Swift” settling scores. The Real Time host praised Trump’s involvement in the Israel-Hamas peace deal before pivoting to sharp criticism of the administration’s retribution campaign ahead of Saturday’s nationwide No Kings protests.

High praise, then harsh criticism

Maher opened his October 17 monologue by acknowledging Trump’s diplomatic success before shifting gears dramatically. “Trump is going after everyone that ever pissed him off,” Maher quipped during the HBO show. “He’s like an authoritarian Taylor Swift.”

The comparison drew on Swift’s well-documented history of publicly addressing grievances through her music, with famous diss tracks targeting ex-boyfriends and former friends. Maher’s guests for the episode included former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin and Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban.

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King denials and Nixon comparisons

The comedian mocked Trump’s response to being labeled a king ahead of the No Kings demonstrations. “Trump does not like this being called a king. He said, I am not a king, and the next person who calls me one, they’re going to find their ass in the dungeon, let me tell you,” Maher joked.

“He denied it. He said, I am not a king. I have no intention of becoming a king, but if some country wants to donate a gold crown, I’m not gonna say no,” Maher continued, highlighting the absurdity of Trump’s position.

Maher drew parallels to Richard Nixon’s secret enemies list, noting a crucial difference. “Why would you think King? The enemies list? I remember when Nixon, you know, they accused Nixon of having an enemies list and he denied it,” Maher said. “Trump reads it out loud.”

Targeting political foes

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The comedian referenced Trump’s barrage of legally dubious indictments ordered against political adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

“The latest one, I mean, Comey’s indicted, Letitia James indicted, now John Bolton, his former national security advisor, wrote a book about him, not a good idea. He’s indicted,” Maher said. Comey and James played major roles in legal cases against Trump involving Russiagate and fraud charges against the Trump Organization, while Bolton published an unflattering memoir about his time in the administration.

Republicans call protests ‘hate America day’

Maher addressed conservative characterization of the No Kings demonstrations as anti-American. “No, the Republicans are saying this is not no King’s Day. They said this is hate America day. Yeah, liberals hate America? That’s what they think?” he said sarcastically.

“Yeah, if you won’t stop assembling freely and speaking freely, we’re gonna send our masked, unaccountable secret police to arrest you, as America should be,” Maher added, his voice dripping with irony as he highlighted the contradiction in Republicans’ position.

During the panel discussion, Maher criticized Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt for attacking Democrats as terrorists and criminals, suggesting the administration is searching for pretexts to cancel upcoming elections.

Swift and Trump’s complicated history

The comparison to Swift carried extra weight given Trump’s mixed public statements about the singer. The president has alternated between saying he “hates” Swift and calling her a “terrific person” on separate occasions. Swift endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign, which drew Trump’s ire.

Like Trump, Swift has used her platform as arguably the most powerful figure in her field to address those who’ve wronged her. The parallel Maher drew highlighted how both figures wield enormous influence to settle personal scores, though one operates in entertainment while the other commands executive power.

No Kings protests loom

The monologue came one day before Saturday’s nationwide No Kings protests, which organizers say will take place in 2,000 cities. The demonstrations were sparked by concerns over Trump’s use of executive power, including recent deployments of National Guard troops and Marines amid immigration enforcement operations.

Maher acknowledged he’d be watching the protests closely, though he expressed skepticism about their effectiveness and suggested liberals should have shown “the same level of enthusiasm” for voting in November.

Can humor effectively challenge authoritarianism, or does mocking a president who openly targets enemies simply normalize the behavior as entertainment?

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