"Real Time" host Bill Maher cast doubt on Democrats' prospects for keeping the White House in 2024 if President Biden isn't their nominee.
During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Maher was asked whether he thought former President Trump will win the Republican nomination and defeat Biden in a potential rematch.
"Well first, it might not be Joe Biden," Maher responded in the sit-down that aired on Tuesday. "I think if it's Biden against Trump, Biden will win. I do. Not guaranteed, but I think that's a really good bet. It was the first time and I think it would the second time even more so."
BILL MAHER URGES DESANTIS ‘WAIT’ ‘TIL TRUMP IS 'DEAD… POLITICALLY’ TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
Maher called the issue over Biden's age a "red herring," insisting "you don't need to be young or spry to be president." He also defended Biden's "perfectly fine" record as president, insisting he "restored normality" and touted various bills he got passed in Congress.
"If it's Trump against Biden, I think Biden will win. But if it's not Biden, I don't know," Maher said. Biden will turn 82 in 2024 and is already the oldest president in American history.
The HBO star predicted that a crowded GOP field will "ensure" Trump the nomination as it did in 2016, but he signaled that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may be the only challenger who can defeat the former president in a one-on-one matchup.
"The only way that Trump doesn't get that nomination is if it's just him and DeSantis," Maher said. "If it's a bunch of people in there, they're going to split the anti-Trump vote because Trump has a very hardcore following. I mean, it's a cult. And cults don't ever go away… DeSantis against Trump I think could get it."
When asked whether he thought DeSantis was an "old school" Republican or a "Trumper 2.0," Maher called that "the great question."
"I don’t know if he’s playing a part or if that’s really him. The reason he’s so effective is he does two things at once. He can be a real old school Republican who just takes care of business, you know, COVID, the hurricane, stuff like that. He just goes about his business. He doesn’t do crazy stuff," Maher said. "But then when he wants the throw red meat to the base, he’s a performance artist. And he does a lot of really outrageous stuff. But I get it that that’s where the party is. If you want a big future in that party, especially if you want to take on Donald Trump, you got to ride both those horses at once."
Tapper then mentioned an anecdote of him meeting a couple in Florida who he said were "liberal Democrats" who "loved DeSantis" for his governance, noting how he won nearly 60% of the vote in his re-election bid.
"The people in Florida like him," Maher responded. "Also while the rest of the country was overdoing COVID… it was night and day from [California]. And, you know, I am not one who was ever on the page with COVID paranoia. So I thought it was a breath of fresh air."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He later added, "And it turned out a lot of what Ron DeSantis did was smarter than what the people who were criticizing saying. I mean, he kept the beaches open. Yes, you’re not going to get it outside. In fact, it’s good. Get some fresh air and some sunshine. That would be better for you. He also protected the elderly. It was much more targeted. It's sort of the opposite of what happened in New York state."
