Bill Maher is a little bit frightened by Taylor Swift‘s power.
In a recent episode of his “Club Random” podcast , he compared the pop star’s ability to drive her fans to register to vote to the sway that a charismatic cult leader holds over their followers.
Maher was speaking with comedian Nikki Glaser, who boasted of having seen Swift 18 times in 15 months, comparing her “Eras Tour” stops to religious experiences. Maher was unsettled and tried to offer a counterfactual to Swift’s debate-night endorsement of Kamala Harris.
“If she said ‘vote for Trump’ then he’d win,” Maher said, adding that Glaser’s fanaticism was “disturbing.”
“I know, but she didn’t, so I’m okay with it,” Glaser replied. “I’m okay with her power, as long as she’s on the right side of things.”
Maher went on to say that Swift’s power over her legions of fans was eerily similar to another blonde.
“Trump, that’s a cult, but so is this,” Maher said. “It is a cult. Maybe a cult leader can be a source for good and not evil and I think she genuinely is. I have no reason to put her down.”
The pair also credited Swift with boosting civic engagement at a pivotal moment. Swift’s endorsement drew praise from Harris — who called her an “incredible artist” — and two separate responses from Trump, who said he “hate[s]” the “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” singer in an all-caps Truth Social rant.
“Elections that we have now are so close, razor-sharp,” Maher said of her endorsement. “Right there, could be the difference.”