Comedian and pundit Bill Maher lauded Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt as “very authentic” on Monday, praising the former reality TV star during a cozy podcast appearance.

Pratt sat down with Maher for an episode of his podcast Club Random, where the two discussed the candidate’s vision for LA and his stance on issues affecting the city.

During one especially warm moment, Maher expressed his frustration over education in California, assigning blame to teachers’ unions, before asking Pratt for his answer to the problem.

“We spend a lot more trying to educate a kid in this state and do worse than places that spend way less. And part of that is because the teachers’ union is so strong,” he said. “Are you– there’s a great question for you, Mr. Candidate. Are you strong enough to buck the unions?”

Pratt claimed that he would push back against union power, garnering warm support from Maher, who touted the candidate’s “exact right impatience” on the issue.

Read their exchange below:

PRATT: People think these unions reflect with the leadership. I’m talking to the members. They’re all voting for me. They don’t agree with the little backroom dealing, the little– they want the same things as the rest of Los Angeles, the Angelinos, want. Even though it’s that small percentage, they’re still moms, husbands, hardworking people paying their taxes, having to go to these same parks, go to the street. So, as mayor, I’m not anti-union, but I’m going to make sure the union leadership actually connects to the people that are in the unions, not this, you know– we’re just being scammed. We’re being scammed across the board.

MAHER: You had me at hello.

PRATT: OK.

MAHER: I’m just saying on this, I mean on so many of these things, and you just have the exact right– I didn’t know until I talked to you, honestly, today– but you have the exact right um impatience with this sh*t. It’s very authentic, your impatience with it. And, you know, you’re just– it’s good. Just keep doing what you’re doing, we’ll see where the chips fall.

Pratt is set to face off against incumbent Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and a slew of other candidates in Tuesday’s primary election, with Pratt, Bass, and progressive city councilwoman Nithya Raman leading in the polls.

Watch above via Club Random Podcast.

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