Charlamagne tha God had an intense conversation with host Bill Maher on Friday as the two discussed who the radio personality would return to in November.
Maher asked the “Breakfast Club” radio host what he thought in an interview as a likely rematch between President Biden and former President Trump approaches, saying he knows Charlamagne does not plan to support the incumbent.
“I’m not endorsing anyone,” he responded, adding, “But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to vote.”
The “Real Time with Bill Maher” host pressed him further on why he didn’t at least say he would support Biden over Trump if they were both on the ballot.
“Here’s the thing, Bill, every time I have these conversations or appear on these shows, I say the same thing about Donald Trump,” he responded in the interview, highlighted by Mediaite. “I think Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. I think he led an attempted coup in this country. He wanted to, you know, scrap the Constitution to overturn the results of an election.”
“And I say I’m voting to preserve democracy,” added Charlamagne, who was born Lenard McKelvey, signaling that he would support Biden over the former president. “So when I say these things I just said, it sounds like I’m voting for Donald Trump?”
Maher raised the temperature, asking the radio host why he didn’t say it outright. Instead of taking the bait, Charlamagne asked why he didn’t press others on the same topic.
I watched your show a few weeks ago. I saw, Ken Burke was here. Ken Burke said no… he doesn’t support Trump. Biden. And he’s not voting. You didn’t give him any push on this? None,” he said, to which Maher brushed it off, saying, “I turn it down all the time.”
The tense interview comes just weeks after the TV personality accused Trump of leading a “coup,” in reference to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol during an interview with Fox News. He also defended his decision not to support Biden in 2024, even after having done so in 2020.
“The reality 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 garbage and I have no desire to support one of them, would you rather I support an individual or endorse the fact that, hey, we need to go out there and protect democracy?” he asked the co-hosts at the time.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
