Real Time with Bill Maher welcomes Pete Buttigieg to the show tonight

After another busy week in politics, Real Time with Bill Maher has a lot to talk about tonight.

Real Time with Bill Maher is only three weeks into its 18th season but not since the 2016 has the show seemed to have so much to say. Fans can expect that to continue tonight as Bill Maher welcomes another interesting group of guests to discuss the week’s events.

We have made it through another week of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. The trial has provided late night shows with plenty to mock, including the ever-changing defense strategy by Republicans as well as President Trump’s responses at rallies and on Twitter.

Republican support for President Trump remains strong, making it look unlikely that he will be removed from office. Bill Maher has already warned Democrats and the public that they should be focused on whether or not President Trump will leave the White House if he loses the 2020 election.

Tonight’s episode of Real Time welcomes one of the individuals set on replacing President Trump along with a few other faces familiar to Real Time fans. Here is the complete breakdown of tonight’s guests.

Top-of-show interview

Real Time with Bill Maher starts off with South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. The 2020 Democratic candidate for president makes his second appearance on the show.

We are only a few days away from the Iowa caucuses, the first major step in determining who the Democratic nominee could be. The caucuses are important to every campaign and are often a good indication of who ends up representing the party in the general election.

Maher will give Buttigieg the chance to have the spotlight all to himself rather than sharing a debate stage with frontrunners like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden. Maher could also ask Buttigieg about the minor controversy that followed his tweet about the “heartland” values he wants to bring to the White House.

Buttigieg’s previous Real Time appearance came in March 2019. At that time, Buttigieg was still considering whether or not to enter the race for president.

Mid-show interview

Bill Maher welcomes back a familiar face for the mid-show interview. Author and sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson makes his 15th visit to Real Time.

Dyson has written a number of books on topics and figures ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr to Jay-Z. He recently gave the MLK Lecture at the University of North Carolina in which he encouraged unity and inclusiveness.

Dyson has also reflected on the death of basketball icon Kobe Bryant. Less than a week after the helicopter accident that killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others, Dyson could reflect on Bryant’s legacy and cultural impact on Real Time.

The panel

The panel continues to be the most eclectic and unique collection of guests in all of television. Tonight Real Time panel features two returning guests and one first-timer.

Mitch Landrieu is the former mayor of New Orleans who also served as lieutenant governor of Louisiana. In 2018 he published his book In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History in which he reflected on his decision to have Confederate statues removed in Louisiana. In addition to commenting on the state of politics in the south, Landrieu could also reflect on how Pete Buttigieg could go from mayor to president.

Representative Mikie Sherrill is a Democrat representing New Jersey’s 11th congressional district. The former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot was elected in 2018. Citing her background in national security, Sherrill was a strong voice in favor of impeaching President Trump following the revelations made by a whistleblower. Sherrill could provide her expertise on topics like national defense and veteran affairs in addition to the impeachment.

Rick Wilson is a Republican political strategist who will be making his eighth appearance on Real Time. Wilson has worked on campaigns for George H.W. Bush and Rudy Giuliani but denounced Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Earlier this month his book Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump–and Democrats from Themselves was published and is described as a strategy for defeating President Trump in the 2020 election. Wilson was also caught in a minor controversy recently when he mocked Trump supporters while on CNN.

You can be sure Bill Maher will be eager to hear Rick Wilson’s response to those angry at him for “offending” President Trump’s supporters. Maher is no stranger to controversial statements that rile up half the country.

Who are you looking forward to seeing on tonight’s show? Let us know in the comment section below. Real Time with Bill Maher airs tonight at 10:00 PM ET on HBO.