Bill Maher suggests Cuomo's refusal to resign is inspired by Trump: He 'never backed down'

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Cuomo won't resign over sex misconduct claims, decries 'cancel culture'

The 'Special Report' All-Star Panel discuss the multiple accusations against the New York governor

"Real Time" host Bill Maher suggested on Friday night that embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be taking a page from former President Trump's playbook as the Democrat faces growing calls to resign. 

"It is amazing when you think about it: In just 12 months, COVID went around the world touching everyone -- like Andrew Cuomo," Maher mocked the governor in his opening monologue. "He's in big trouble ... And it's starting to look like the only way we're going to stop him is herd immunity."

During the panel discussion, the HBO star reiterated his stance that Cuomo's accusers were "credible," but pointed to his argument calling for an "investigation."

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"I think there is merit to that," Maher said. "It seems like we're in this 'Old West' mentality of, you know, we've heard something, let's hang him. ... Is that wrong, putting aside what he did? Can we have the investigation first?"

Comedian Larry Wilmore responded by pointing out that there's a "political argument" when it comes to whether Cuomo stays or goes and which is "the right thing to do."

"You think Trump, being the guy who never backed down, changed this dynamic?" Maher asked. "People saw that and it was sort of popular."

"I think so," Wilmore responded. 

Later on, Maher invoked Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who "stuck it out" amid a tidal wave of calls for this resignation after a racist photo from his page in a medical school yearbook allegedly showed him either in blackface or in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. 

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam , left, and former President Donald Trump are examples of politicians who toughed it out as allegations mounted, Bill Maher noted Friday night.

"Governor Northam was sort of in a similar situation. You heard so many of the leading Democrats at the time, you can go through it -- Bill Clinton, Hillary -- they all said that Governor Northam should quit," Maher told the panel. 

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"The difference was Black people said, 'I ain't mad at you. Whatever,'" Wilmore quipped. "Because they said they liked the programs that he was implementing or that he was there to implement and they wanted to see that process happen. They wanted to see those things happen rather than, you know, roll the dice over just a couple of pictures that happened years ago."

While the sexual misconduct scandal dominated the conversation, Cuomo's nursing home scandal and the alleged coverup of nursing home deaths were never mentioned.