HBO host Bill Maher on Friday implored the news media to "get serious again" about the stories it covers after two recent polls showed the American public trusts President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE more than the press.

On "Real Time," Maher specifically referenced a Feb. 17 Fox News poll showing by a 45 percent to 42 percent margin, more voters say they trust the Trump administration to “tell the public the truth” than journalists who cover the White House.

"For the press to be effective, these numbers have to change," Maher said. "Could you imagine how this must make a reporter feel? To be losing a truthfulness contest to Donald Trump? It's like losing a rap battle to Mitt Romney."

Maher slammed the media for only focusing on Trump during the campaign while ignoring the other 16 candidates running against him.

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"They covered every Trump rally like we put a game show host on the moon. They made him look like he was president before he was," said Maher. "During the primaries, Trump got three times the coverage of everyone else in the primaries."

Maher added that Trump got twice as much coverage as Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Why Democrats must confront extreme left wing incitement to violence MORE combined as well, but didn't cite any sources for any of the data presented.

“For the sake of the republic, you gotta get serious again. You have to get your respect back, so Trump can't say, 'The people don't believe you, you're a joke,'" Maher said.

"The news media lost trust because they became eyeball-chasing clickbait whores.”

A Feb. 8 Emerson College poll also showed Trump was seen as more trustworthy than the news media by 49 percent of respondents, with one 39 percent saying the opposite.