WATCH: Maggie Haberman Tells Bill Maher Charging Trump Criminally ‘Enhances His Appeal’ To Fans

New York Times correspondent and CNN analyst Maggie Haberman told Bill Maher that criminally indicting former President Donald Trump would “enhance his appeal” with some supporters, and confirmed reports of a November announcement of Trump’s 2024 bid.

Haberman was a panel guest on Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, and was present for the weekly “Overtime” segment that follows the show. Maher asked for her read on what a second Trump Term would look like, and Haberman provided several key insights — including that Trump sees running for president as protection from the investigations closing in on him:

BILL MAHER: Okay, Maggie, based on all the times you interviewed Trump, what do you think a second Trump term would look like?

MAGGIE HABERMAN: A lot like what 2020 would have looked like had COVID not happened, because he was gearing up to put in place people at the NSC who would do what he wanted. He was gearing up to put at the Defense Department people who would do what he wanted. He was gearing up to put he thinks everything is personnel. And all these people who were stopping him at various other points in his term were suddenly going to see their mirrors, you know, gone. And he was going to put in people who would do his bidding. I think another Trump term would be a lot of spite. He still has to get people confirmed by the Senate. But if there is a large majority in the Republican Senate in 2024 after that election, he’s not going to have that hard a time. So it will.

BILL MAHER: I hear he’s going to. Announce his next run…

MAGGIE HABERMAN: Quite soon.

BILL MAHER: Very soon. Is that.

MAGGIE HABERMAN: That’s accurate. Yes, it is.

BILL MAHER: I mean, I’ve been saying all along there’s no way he’s not running again. I mean, he never really stopped. He hasn’t.

RICHARD REEVES: Do you think he’ll get the nomination?

BILL MAHER: Of course.

MAGGIE HABERMAN: I think he is the odds-on favorite for even if he gets indicted, which is a possibility.

BILL MAHER: Oh, that will only make him more popular.

MAGGIE HABERMAN: And it enhances his appeal with some people.

FAREED ZAKARIA: He’s the most narcissistic man in the universe. So what is more ego gratifying than to be at the center of the world stage?

MAGGIE HABERMAN: Yeah, that’s the main thing. But he also thinks that running gives him insulation against an investigation, and that’s a big piece of it. Right now he is facing significant investigations. From Justice Department and in Georgia. And he thinks this only helps him.

Watch above via HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.