Bill Maher Defends Trump's Comments on Potential Attacks on Los Angeles

<figure><img alt="Bill Maher attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/4TK6VXCL3JFWBMPNUTCJXR2LPY.jpg?auth=4afb1bb272755f051bcf127767ded6fc401d0f00a17da4ffb4520f9ea1d2e678&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5323&amp;height=2994" /><figcaption>Lionel Hahn / Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bill Maher has defended President Donald Trump’s comments regarding Iran potentially attacking Los Angeles. Trump stated that higher gas prices are a “small price to pay” for American safety and mentioned Los Angeles and San Diego as examples of cities that could be targeted by a nuclear-armed Iran. He clarified that he was using these cities to illustrate the potential consequences of such an attack.</p><p>On his show, Maher supported Trump’s remarks, stating, “Let’s be fair,” and explained that the “small price” referred to the high gas prices. He added, “He wasn’t saying that we were encouraging Iran,” but acknowledged that such comments could be sensitive for residents of Los Angeles.</p><p>Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized Trump’s remarks, calling them horrifying and “egregious,” and stated that major American cities should not be treated as expendable. Maher responded to Bass’s criticism by making a joke about her previous trip to Ghana during the January 2025 Los Angeles fires.</p><p>Maher has faced criticism in the past for his comments about Trump, previously describing him as “gracious and measured” during a White House dinner. However, he also critiques Trump, noting that the former president is campaigning in states where Republicans typically do not need to campaign, such as Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Alabama, ahead of the midterm elections.</p><p>He referenced Trump’s promises of financial assistance to voters, jokingly stating, “I think this is what the kids call being thirsty.”</p>