Comedian and pundit Bill Maher confronted Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) over his social media trolling of President Donald Trump and his lawsuit against Fox News, saying that’s “exactly what Trump does.”

On Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, the interview guest was Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic governor of California, host of the podcast “This is Gavin Newsom,” and author of “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.”

The panel guests were Bret Stephens, Pulitzer Prize-winner and opinion columnist at The New York Times; and Gillian Tett, provost of King’s College, Cambridge and a columnist and editorial board member at Financial Times.

During the interview segment, Newsom bristled when Maher compared his behavior to Trump’s:

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): He talked about a beach photo and an indictment of one of his enemies. He talked his ballroom, his Kremlin ballroom. He’s not doing anything to try to unite this country in any way shape or form and you know for me That’s to me. That’s the biggest reflection of this moment is is how It’s just the sewer that we’re now living in because of Donald Trump. And he’s allowed all of us to feel free to shove again. And I think, you know, if nothing else, forget it.

BILL MAHER: But many people would say that you are imitating him, among all the people who may or may not be running. You are the one who kind of imitates his style with the trolling. You’re suing Fox now, I understand.

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): That’s that’s what we’re going into discovery Fox better look to settle right now or apologize for defamation.

BILL MAHER: Okay, but that sounds exactly like what he does. Sueing media?

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Different point. Well, then don’t defame. Don’t lie. And, you know, Fox is a propaganda.

BILL MAHER: Okay, again, but that does sound like him.

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Well, here’s the point. I’m trying to put a mirror up to Donald Trump. Yeah. And I think it’s important, with a sense of humor as well. The deviation of normalcy is off the chart.

This is a guy cosplaying as the pope, dressing up as Jesus, reaper, this guy putting his face on Mount Rushmore, doing it at all cap, none of this is normal.

And you may recall when I first started doing this, the folks on Fox said, oh, this is so unbecoming of the governor of california he should wash out his mouth with soap and water with no situational awareness that their dear leader has been doing this for years and years and years.

He’s a man child.

And so I think it’s important to call that out.

Watch above via HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

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