Charlamagne tha God got into an intense exchange with late night host Bill Maher Friday, as the two discussed who the radio personality would back in November.
Maher asked the “Breakfast Club” radio host on where his mind is in an interview, as a likely rematch between President Biden and former President Trump inches closer, saying he knows Charlamagne doesn't plan to endorse the incumbent.
"I'm not endorsing anybody," he fired back, adding, "But that doesn't mean I'm not voting."
The "Real Time with Bill Maher" host pressed him further on why he hasn't at least said he would support Biden over Trump if both are on the ballot.
"Here's the thing though, Bill, whenever I have these conversations or I come on these shows, I say the same thing about Donald Trump," he replied 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, terminate the Constitution to overthrow the results of an election."
"And I say I’m voting to preserve democracy," Charlamagne, who was born Lenard McKelvey, added, signaling he would back Biden over the former president. "So when I say those things that I just said, does it sound like I’m voting for Donald Trump?"
Maher turned up the heat, asking the radio host why he wouldn't say it outright. Instead of taking the bait, Charlamagne asked him why he didn't press others on the same issue.
I watched your show a couple weeks ago. I saw, Ken Burke was up here. Ken Burke said he’s not ... he doesn’t support Trump. Biden. And he’s not voting. You didn’t give him no push back on that? None," he claimed, to which Maher brushed off, saying "I push back on that 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 has also defended his decision not to endorse Biden in 2024, even after doing 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 trash, and I don’t feel like endorsing one, would you rather me endorse 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.
