On Friday night during an appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro declined to take “bait” regarding a potential 2028 presidential run, while offering sharp critiques of the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran. Maher suggested multiple times that Shapiro, who was promoting his memoir Where We Keep the Light, was running for president, noting his successes as governor made him a strong contender for the nomination. During the interview,Shapiro heavily criticized the Trump administration, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, describing them as “acting like a bunch of 8-year-olds playing with toy soldiers”. Maher did push back on Shapiro’s suggestion that the rationale for the war remains unclear. Shapiro said, “We’ve lost 13 American soldiers in a war that the American people has no idea why the hell we went there in the first place.” Maher countered, “I think people have an idea.” Shapiro, who is Jewish, also addressed the rise in antisemitism, calling for leaders in both parties to speak out against it.
Monday 16th March 2026
