Comedian Bill Maher said he believes Democrats are positioned to win the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that President Donald Trump’s approval ratings remain weak and have even slipped among his own supporters. Speaking Monday on his “Club Random” podcast, Maher said Democrats “cannot help but win,” while guest Jeff Dunham expressed surprise at the prediction.
Maher pointed to Trump’s recent actions on Iran as a major factor shaping public opinion. He said he initially backed Trump’s strike against Iran’s supreme leader, but later softened that stance after no uprising followed the attack. Maher said he no longer supports making the conflict “indefinite,” though he gave Trump credit for shifting toward naval blockades rather than full-scale destruction.
The discussion came as Trump told Fox News he expected a peace deal with Iran to be finalized this week, even while Iran fired ballistic missiles toward Israel. Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said he planned to tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate in a way that would prolong the conflict. He said the missile fire did not hit anyone and warned that another Israeli strike would drag the war on for years.
Maher also praised Trump for what he described as a willingness to call out issues that other politicians avoid. He said Trump has a “knack” for identifying problems such as what he called dysfunction on college campuses. Maher said he has seen the culture shift firsthand and dismissed attempts to deny it. He also said Trump was right to identify illegal immigration as a serious problem, but argued the president went too far by using ICE aggressively in American cities. Maher called that approach unconstitutional and excessively cruel.
The podcast also touched on politics beyond 2026. A new Emerson College poll suggests the 2028 presidential race could be more competitive on the Republican side than on the Democratic side. The survey shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance nearly tied for the top spot among likely GOP contenders, with Vance narrowly ahead. On the Democratic side, no potential candidate has broken 20%, though several names are being considered, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The poll found that most Democratic figures gained slightly in support, while Newsom and Harris each declined. Newsom dropped four points to 20%, and Harris slipped three points to 13%. The results suggest uncertainty remains for both parties as they look beyond the next election cycle.
