During a panel discussion Friday night, Maher reiterated his stance on how he could never cast a vote for a Republican since the party “doesn’t believe in the emergency of climate change or democracy.”

“Elon Musk this week — I’m a big fan in many ways, but when he says, ‘Now I’m going to vote Republican,’ I’ve got to part company there. C’mon, Elon,” Maher exclaimed. “I can’t go there with him because of what I just said, because of where the big issues are, but it’s troubling to me that a guy like that who said, ‘I voted mostly Democrat for the longest time and now I’m switching.’ I mean, I’m not going to say is a stupid man… So the fact that he can be taken over by the Republicans, what does that tell you about the Democrats? What do they have to do to stop that from happening?”

Comedian Adam Carolla responded by pointing to Democratic regulations on businesses and how Musk moved his Tesla headquarters from California to Texas as part of his rationale.

While Maher heralded Musk as a “genius,” he insisted the billionaire is “lacking some perspective here on what party is the most dangerous now.”