Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time," criticized President Donald Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran on Friday, comparing it to the former president's controversial handling of personal relationships and legal disputes.
"Where's the big deal maker?" Maher asked during his opening monologue. "What happened to 'the art of the deal?' This is his big close? I got news for you. The emperor has no clothes. I tell you, Donald Trump, when he gets tired of a relationship, he's just out."
Maher's 'Stormy Daniels Strategy' Analogy
Maher likened the Iran agreement to the "Stormy Daniels strategy," referencing Trump's 2024 hush-money trial involving an alleged sexual encounter with the former porn star. "It's, 'A third party's going to send you money and then we're going to pretend this never happened,'" Maher said.
The memorandum, signed Wednesday in France, includes U.S. agreements to help develop a $300 billion rehabilitation program for Iran, lifting sanctions and unfreezing assets. In return, Iran vows to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and not to "procure or develop nuclear weapons."
Comparison to Obama-Era Policies
Maher contrasted the deal with criticism of former President Barack Obama's policies. "Remember when Obama unfroze money? It was like the worst thing that ever happened in the history of the world. And now, $300 billion, which apparently is going to come from our Gulf allies," he said.
The nuclear weapons provision was central to Trump's stated aims for launching the war in February, along with destroying Iran's ballistic weapons capabilities. Trump has since pivoted from those goals.
Ongoing Hostilities and Skepticism
Israel has continued bombing Lebanon, jeopardizing the tentative memorandum, which is intended to launch 60 days of negotiations and expects both the U.S. and Iran, along with their allies, to cease military hostilities "on all fronts."
Maher, who initially supported regime change in Iran, later called on Trump to "cut and run." On Friday, he quipped, "I just hope we play Iran in the World Cup so we can beat them at something. Because this, first of all, it's not a deal. It's a memorandum of understanding. It's about as legally binding as the sign in the break room that says, 'Please Clean Microwave.'"
