Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed back against HBO host Bill Maher’s comments on gerrymandering during an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” telling the audience that both political parties — not just Republicans — have engaged in redistricting manipulation for decades.

The exchange began when Maher criticized Republicans for allegedly using gerrymandering to maintain control of congressional districts.

“It makes sense in that the Democrats have no power now,” Maher said.

“The only power they can have is if they win the midterm elections and take back the House. If only the Republicans get to gerrymander, the Democrats will never take back the House.”

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Schwarzenegger quickly interrupted to challenge the statement. “No, no,” he said.

“Gerrymandering is going on, has been going on for 200 years.”

Maher responded, “Not on this level,” suggesting that the Republican Party’s recent redistricting efforts have been more aggressive than previous examples.

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Schwarzenegger disagreed, arguing that both major parties have a long history of drawing maps in their favor.

“Look,” Schwarzenegger continued, “there are states out there that have 40% of Republicans and only have, like, 20% representation in Congress. There’s the opposite also true. So there’s gerrymandering going on all over.”

The former governor cited several examples of states where one party’s representation is disproportionate to its voter share.

In Massachusetts, for instance, Republicans make up roughly 40% of the electorate yet hold no congressional seats.

Connecticut has five congressional districts, all represented by Democrats, despite significant Republican support.

In Illinois, Republicans hold only three of 17 House seats even though they received nearly 47% of the statewide vote.

In California, where Republicans make up about 40% of the electorate, they currently hold nine of 52 seats in the U.S. House.

Schwarzenegger said the problem extends across the political spectrum and is not limited to one party.

“To undo all of that and to take away the power — see, this is a trick that you have to understand,” he said.

“The Democrats are fighting the Republicans. The Republicans are fighting with the Democrats. But you know something? One of them is going to win.”

Maher replied, “Yes, it’s gonna be the Republicans… because they didn’t follow your example into the halls of nobleness.”

Bill Maher: “If only the Republicans get to gerrymander, the Democrats will never take back the House.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger: “No, no, gerrymandering has been going on for 200 years.”

Bill Maher: “Not on this level.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger: *Isn’t buying it* “Look, there… pic.twitter.com/zlHYncXyl3

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) October 18, 2025

Schwarzenegger did not respond directly but reiterated that the problem lies within the system itself rather than one party’s actions.

The conversation touched on broader debates over redistricting and political fairness as several cases involving congressional maps move through the courts.

One major case, Louisiana v. Callais, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, could have nationwide implications for how race-based districting is handled.

The decision is expected to influence how both parties approach redistricting before the next national election.

Schwarzenegger, who has long advocated for independent redistricting commissions to draw fairer congressional maps, used his appearance to highlight the need for systemic reform.

As California governor, he backed efforts to remove map-drawing power from state legislators and place it in the hands of a bipartisan citizens’ panel, a model that has since been studied by other states.

The former governor, who has publicly criticized both parties on issues of political corruption and partisanship, ended the exchange by calling for greater transparency and accountability in the redistricting process.

Gerrymandering — the practice of manipulating district boundaries to benefit one political party — has been a contentious issue in recent years.

Critics on both sides argue that it undermines fair representation and allows entrenched political interests to dominate elections regardless of voter preference.

While Maher maintained that Republicans have taken the practice to new extremes, Schwarzenegger’s remarks highlighted the bipartisan nature of redistricting manipulation and urged audiences to view the problem as systemic rather than partisan.

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