Andrew McCabe sits down with Bill Maher on a new Real Time

Tonight’s new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher will feature an interview with former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

Get ready for another fully-loaded episode of Real Time with Bill Maher tonight. The HBO show’s 17th season continues to feature the most impressive lineup of guests not just in late night but across television.

Real Time may only air once a week but Bill Maher managed to pack five night’s worth of guests into one show. Already this season the show has featured Ann Coulter, Chris Christie, and Adam Schiff.

And while some may think that Maher represents the one-sided coverage of President Trump destroying late night, his roundtable discussions are typically anything but one-sided. Nowhere else in late night is there such a variety of voices and perspectives on one show. It creates the kind of controlled chaos that Maher enjoys and has become an expert in orchestrating.

This trend will certainly continue on tonight’s Real Time. Keep reading for Last Night On’s episode preview.

Top-of-show

The top-of-show interview will be with former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. It will be his first appearance on Bill Maher’s show.

McCabe became very well known after he was fired from his position a day shy of retirement by then-U.S. General Attorney Jeff Sessions. McCabe claimed it was politically motivated while Sessions alleged the deputy director leaked information to the press.

Prior to his dismissal, McCabe had been the acting director of the FBI in the wake of James Comey being fired by President Donald Trump. McCabe discussed his effort to protect Robert Mueller’s investigation and also talked about investigation’s into whether Trump was compromised by Russia during a 60 Minutes Interview.

McCabe will no doubt expand on some things from that interview when he sits down with Maher. McCabe will also promote his book The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump in which he compares Trump to a mob boss and comments on personnel changes in the FBI.

Mid-show interview

Also making his first Real Time with Bill Maher appearance will be Andrew Gillum. The former Tallahassee, Florida mayor will be the subject of the mid-show interview.

Gillum was in the national spotlight for his ultimately unsuccessful run for governor of Florida in 2018. He lost the election to Republican Ron DeSantis by a count of 49.6 percent to 49.2 percent.

The race was not without controversy prior to the recount. DeSantis was accused of making racially-charged comments and President Trump weighed in by calling Gillum a thief.

Gillum has also gained attention for teasing a “major announcement” that some believe could be about his candidacy for president in 2020. The progressive would join an already crowded field of Democrats confident they can defeat President Trump.

On Real Time, Gillum should be able to give his perspective on the state of political campaigns. Look for him to tell Maher what he learned from his failed gubernatorial run and what is in store for his political future.

The panel

National affairs analyst John Heilemann will be on the panel. It marks his eighth appearance on Real Time.

Heilemann has been featured as a journalist in The Economist, New York, and Wired. He has also authored book on the Microsoft anti-trust case as well as the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.

Heilemann is also the host of the Showtime series The Circus looking at politics during the Trump administration. In addition to that rather large topic, expect him to weigh in on Beto O’Rourke’s announcement that he will be running for president in 2020.

Senator Jon Tester of Montana will also be on the panel. The Democrat was last on Real Time  in 2013.

Tester won re-election for a third term in 2018 despite President Donald Trump’s strong efforts to unseat Tester with Republican Matt Rosendale. Tester has gone on to be critical of Trump’s immigration policies as well as his judicial nominations.

Journalist Jessica Yellin rounds out the panel. Tonight will be the second time she’s been a guest of Bill Maher.

Yellin was the chief White House correspondent for CNN between 2011 and 2013. She was praised for her coverage of President Barack Obama and became an influential voice in political journalism.

Her experience no doubt informed Savage News, her novel set for release next month. The book revolves around a female journalist fighting for her big break as a White House correspondent. Look for Yellin to comment on the “new normal” created by President Trump’s White House.

Real Time with Bill Maher airs tonight, March 15 at 10:00 PM ET live on HBO. Follow along with the discussion in Twitter before you tune in to the show. Then check back with us here at Last Night On for the highlights.