On June 2, 2025, playwright David Mamet appeared on comedian Bill Maher's podcast, Club Random w/ Bill Maher. The duo discussed a variety of topics, including Mamet's film Henry Johnson and upcoming projects, the 2020 election, the societal impact of artificial intelligence, and more.Bill Maher shared an anecdote about the first time he encountered ChatGPT, describing how he saw the chatbot write a scene for a TV show in under three seconds. Maher acknowledged the efficiency and advantages of AI but stated that his instincts told him it would ultimately be bad.David Mamet responded to Maher's statements, saying:"Well, the big changes in civilization... first one was the industrial revolution and the second one is the computer revolution. So we're in the midst of being, everybody in the western world is undergoing a certain kind of moderate cognitive dissonance because nothing makes any sense anymore."David Mamet's comments on Bill Maher's podcast exploredAccording to The Daily Beast, playwright David Mamet, once a liberal voice in Hollywood, has fully embraced his shift to conservatism. During a heated exchange on the Bill Maher's Club Random podcast on June 2, 2025, Mamet and Maher argued about Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election, the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and the state of American democracy.The argument began when Maher claimed that Trump’s refusal to concede his 2020 loss was a clear impetus for the January 6 insurrection."It was about people who did not hear their leader say, as every other leader in this country has said after an election [loss], ‘OK, I lost...Trump didn't do any of that," Maher said.David Mamet dismissed Maher's comment with a shrug, stating that his point was irrelevant. When Maher argued that Trump's stance had destroyed trust in democracy, Mamet retorted:“You’re full of sh*t!”He also ridiculed the idea that Trump's refusal to concede was enough to drive millions to riot, suggesting that Maher was overstating the rationale. Maher countered that Trump’s persistent claims the election was “rigged,” without credible evidence, have persuaded many of his supporters to disbelieve the outcome of any election going forward.David Mamet stated that his shift to conservatism—and his belief that the 2020 election was manipulated—was propelled by a call he received from Donald Trump in 2022. During a previous appearance on Bill Maher's show, Mamet shied away from answering questions about the 2020 election. He claimed that the next morning, he received a call from Trump.“Next morning, 8 o’clock, the phone rings. Woman on the phone says ‘Mr Mamet, will you hold for the president?’ I said, ‘Wait a second, Biden’s calling me?’ It’s Trump! During the Biden administration."He continued:“He says ‘David, it’s Donald Trump.’ I say ‘To what do I owe the honor?’ He said ‘I saw you on Bill Maher yesterday, you were great. But you wussed out on the question of the stolen election. And then he talked to me for like 20 minutes about how the election was stolen.”Beyond politics, David Mamet and Bill Maher also discussed Mamet's new movie, Henry Johnson. The pair praised lead actor Shia LaBeouf's performance. Mamet clarified that, contrary to Maher's opinion, he had not incorporated a political element into the film.According to Variety, Henry Johnson was released at the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles on May 9, 2025, and is available to rent from the film's official website.