Bill Maher Demands Gavin Newsom Explain the Government Hoops Blocking His Roof Repair

California is drowning in red tape—and Bill Maher just put Gavin Newsom on the spot to explain why. See how Newsom responds.

Bill Maher has been trying to make changes to his roof for ages—but California’s endless red tape keeps getting in the way. Frustrated by the constant bureaucratic hurdles, Maher finally had the chance to confront Governor Gavin Newsom face-to-face and ask why even basic repairs feel impossible in California.

This isn’t Maher’s first run-in with California’s bureaucratic nightmare. Back in 2018, when he first tried installing solar panels, Maher faced over three years of delays due to endless permits and red tape.

Now, facing another roof debacle after the wildfires, Maher is sick of the unnecessary hurdles.

“Let’s talk about what’s important: my roof,” Maher said firmly to Newsom.

“Your roof?” Newsom asked—surprised.

“My roof,” Maher reiterated.

Maher explained that after a wildfire damaged his roof, he opted to repair it exactly as officials recommended. But instead of being able to get the work done quickly, he was hit with unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles instead.

“Two inspections I needed to have—why?” Maher asked. “It’s my roof. If it falls on my head, that’s my problem.”

“That’s it? That’s just a statement,” Newsom replied.

“No, that’s my question,” Maher shot back. “Why do I need two inspections, which I have to pay for? Yeah, you were here last time we talked about regulations. You said, ‘Oh, it’s a completely new day.’ That’s a quote from you. ‘Completely new day.’”

Newsom shifted gears, referencing Ezra Klein’s book, Abundance, suggesting liberal governance was overly fixated on process rather than outcomes—essentially acknowledging that Maher’s roof saga was exactly the kind of bureaucracy Klein warned about. He vaguely promised to eliminate some of these hurdles.

Maher—seeing through Newsom’s political speak— wasn’t satisfied. “How’s that going, though?” he asked.

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Shortly after this exchange, Newsom’s rebranding as a moderate fell apart when Bill Maher called out California’s rule that kept parents in the dark if their child changed their gender identity.

“So what do you say to people who say… ‘Governor, you were the poster boy for a lot of this [woke] stuff?’” Maher asked.

“I see today the Trump administration talked about the fact that California had a rule that schools cannot be required to notify parents if their kids in school have changed their gender, their pronouns. That’s the kind of thing—even though it doesn’t affect a lot of people—that makes a lot of people go, ‘Well, you know what? That’s the party without common sense,’” Maher added.

Newsom tried to deflect, framing the issue as protecting students: “I just disagree with that. I mean, the law was you would be fired, a teacher would be fired if a teacher did not report or snitch on a kid talking about their gender identity. I just think that was wrong. I think teachers should teach. I don’t think they should be required to turn in kids.”

Maher quickly called out the political spin: “Turning in? We’re talking about their parents. How can you snitch?”

As the interview neared its end, Maher demanded Gavin Newsom give it to him straight about his future presidential ambitions, explicitly telling him to cut the bullsh*t and speak clearly.

But, in a moment that should surprise no one, Newsom responded with an intentionally vague answer.

“Given that we are in this dire situation, I feel like we don’t have time anymore for the old bullsht,” Maher challenged. “You know, the old, ‘Are you running for president?’ ‘Well, you know, there’s an exploratory committee, and I’m looking at it. I’m happy with my job as governor.’ I mean, your future is not in California. Your future is in Iowa. Let’s dispense with the bullsht. We need someone who’s gonna be the champion. Are you gonna do it or not?” Maher asked.

“Just come on, tell us. We don’t have time for the bullsh*t.”

“I can’t stand the bullsh*t as well. And I mean that,” Newsom empathized before ironically giving a vague, bullsh*t answer.

“So, look, this is not my purpose or passion. It’s not my meaning. It’s not everything. The cynicism that’s out there, that every move he [Newsom] is making is some move to some longer-term strategy or short-term strategy.”

Maher kept pressing, “But who could do it? Who could get it done? Who could win?”

Newsom refused to give a straight answer again, “I deeply respect that. I respect the question, but I don’t have any grand plans, as it respects that.”

Whether Newsom is running for president or not isn’t really relevant. He’s clearly on a rebranding tour, launching a new podcast, speaking to conservatives, and trying to draw as many eyeballs as possible.

This is a business move, not some act of goodwill. Remember, this is the same guy who insisted, “Not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx.”

Yet, his own tweet from 2023 exposed him saying, “The GOP are busy banning the word ‘Latinx’ and AP Black history courses rather than the weapons of war that are killing our kids.”

Whether it’s repairing a roof or addressing gender identity issues in schools, Newsom’s vague, no-substance responses always leave voters spinning in circles. Until he fixes that and starts speaking plainly, he’ll never be president.

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