Maher Humiliates Newsom, Airline Collapse Fallout Widens, Rubio Heads to Europe | 5/4/26 FIRST LOOK

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0:33Hey everybody, I'm Dave Rubin and this is First Look. It's Monday, May 4th, 2026. We've got a packed show for you today. Bill Maher goes after Gavin Newsom hammering California's gas prices, housing crisis, and that$230 billion train disaster. The fallout from Spirit Airlines collapsing, and how the Trump administration is stepping in while blaming Biden-era policies. Marco Rubio heads to Europe as tensions rise between Trump, NATO allies, and even the Vatican. Let's dive in. California Governor Gavin Newsom went into what should have been a friendly interview with Bill Maher, but got absolutely hammered.

1:17Appearing on HBO's Real Time, Newsom was there to promote his agenda and take shots at Trump. Instead, Marr flipped the script and focused on what's actually happening in California. Marr didn't hold back. He walked through the core issues defining Newsom's leadership. Sky-high gas prices, crushing rent, a struggling cost of living, and the infamous high-speed rail project. And then he dropped the line that really stuck. Are they going to say good about gas prices? Are they going to say good about how high their rents are? That's the reality check. California currently has the highest gas prices in the country, averaging around$6 per gallon, with some areas pushing up to$9.

2:05And while Newsom tried to pivot to the usual talking point, California being the fourth largest economy in the world, Marr wasn't buying it. Because as he pointed out, people don't live inside GDP stats. They live in reality. Then tame the train. Marr went directly at California's long-troubled high-speed rail project, telling Newsom bluntly, I say this as a friend, you gotta let that train go. Why? Because the numbers are staggering. Originally projected at$33 to$45 billion, dollars, originally supposed to be completed by 2020, now delayed until at least 2032, and now estimated to cost over$230 billion.

2:54Maher called it out as a symbol of government failure. Newsom, for his part, tried to defend it, saying he inherited the problem and claiming they've got it back on track. But even Maher, who has encouraged Newsom to run for president, clearly wasn't convinced. Then things turned political. Newsom pivoted to attacking Trump, calling his administration a corruption story and accusing Trump and his allies of running what he called the greatest grift of our lifetime. He pointed to business deals, foreign partnerships, and even Donald Trump Jr.'s business involvement. But Marr fired back again, pointing out something important.

3:35Newsom's tone, his lawsuits, his rhetoric, It sounds a lot like the behavior he criticizes. At one point, Marr even said, that sounds exactly like what he does, suing media. So here's the takeaway. Even in a friendly environment, even with someone who leans left, Newsom couldn't escape the reality. California's problems are real and they're becoming impossible to spin away. Now to a major development in the airline industry. Spirit Airlines has officially shut down operations, and the fallout is massive. As of 3 a.m. Saturday, Spirit stopped flying completely. No planes in the air, no staff at ticket counters, no call centers.

4:21Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made it clear, if you have a flight scheduled with Spirit, don't go to the airport. There will be no one there to assist you. This collapse affects thousands of stranded passengers. roughly 17 ,000 employees, and a major chunk of the budget airline market. Now the Trump administration is stepping in to manage the chaos. Here's what they've rolled out. Major airlines, Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest, are capping fares for stranded spirit passengers. One-way tickets around$200 for those needing to rebook. Price freezes on certain overlapping routes and 50 % discounts from Allegiant Air through May 10th.

5:05On top of that, there's help for employees. Airlines are setting up fast-track hiring pipelines, giving spirit workers preferential interviews for roles like pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, call center staff. Duffy emphasized there is strong demand for aviation workers, so many of these employees could land on their feet. Now, the big political fight. Duffy and other Trump officials are placing the blame squarely on the Biden administration. The key issue? The blocked JetBlue Spirit merger. Back in 2024, the Biden DOJ shut down a$3.8 billion merger, claiming it would hurt competition.

5:45Duffy's response now? This merger should have been allowed. This is worse for pricing, worse for competition, worse for travelers. He also specifically called out Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, saying they celebrated blocking the deal, calling it a win at the time. Now, spirit is gone. Even some former Biden officials are second-guessing it. Neera Tanden, a former advisor, publicly questioned whether stopping the merger was the right call given the job losses. Now, there was talk of a bailout. Trump reportedly explored a$500 million rescue, but it didn't materialize, partly because creditors and private markets ultimately control those outcomes.

6:31Duffy made clear, the government can be a lender of last resort, but private solutions are preferred. And importantly, he pushed back on one narrative. This was not caused by the Iran conflict. Spirit had been struggling for years. multiple bankruptcies, a broken business model, long-term financial instability. As Duffy put it, spirit was in dire straits long before the war. So this wasn't sudden. It was the result of years of bad economics and, according to the Trump team, bad policy decisions. And finally, a developing international story. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Italy and the Vatican this week in what appears to be a major diplomatic effort to cool tensions.

7:16And there are a lot of tensions right now. Rubio is expected to meet with Italy's foreign and defense ministers and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomat. This comes as the US relationship with Europe is under strain, particularly over the war with Iran, trade disputes, and NATO commitments. The Pentagon has already announced a drawdown of 5 ,000 US troops from Germany, and Trump is now openly questioning whether the U.S. should scale back forces in Italy too. He said bluntly, Why shouldn't I? Italy has not been of any help to us. That's significant because Italy hosts nearly 13 ,000 U.S.

7:57troops across six bases. Trump's argument is clear. Europe benefits from U.S. protection, but isn't always willing to step up when it matters. And then there's the Vatican angle. Trump has been publicly clashing with Pope Leo, especially over the Iran war, immigration policy. At one point, Trump called the Pope weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy, and told him to stop catering to the radical left. The Pope responded carefully, saying, I have no fear of the Trump administration. I will not enter into debate. Still, the tension is real, and it's even created friction with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloney, who is normally one of Trump's closest allies in Europe.

8:41So Rubio's trip is about stabilizing all of this. NATO relations, US-Italy ties, and even the relationship with the Catholic Church. Trump, for his part, has praised Rubio, even joking he might be too likable on the world stage. But make no mistake, this is a serious moment diplomatically. And that's your first look this Monday. Quick recap. Bill Maher calls out Gavin Newsom on California's economic reality. The Spirit Airlines collapse sends shockwaves and Marco Rubio heads overseas as tensions rise between the US, Europe and the Vatican. We'll keep following all of it. I'm Dave Rubin. Thanks for starting your day with First Look.

9:24See you tomorrow.

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