Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time," called out President Donald Trump on Friday for his series of "bullshit" claims regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran. Maher highlighted the contradictions in Trump's statements, from threats to destroy Iranian civilization to claiming victory without tangible results.
Trump's Erratic Statements
Maher noted during his opening monologue that Trump has "erratically" shifted from threatening to annihilate Iranian culture earlier this month to adopting a "so chill" attitude toward the war. Trump claimed Thursday that he is "the least pressured person ever to be in this position," despite the lack of progress in negotiations.
Trump has frequently described the conflict as an "excursion" or "military operation," admitting last month that there is "a legal reason for that"—namely, that a U.S. president requires congressional approval to officially declare war.
Maher's Critique
"And now it's like, is it really a war?" Maher asked. "It's more of a 'situation,' really, I think. And the problem is he keeps saying we won, and we didn't. We didn't. Hormuz is not open. The people did not do an uprising. The regime is still in place. We did not win. Sorry!"
He continued, "And in social media, he keeps rubbing their noses in the victory we don't have. Every day—every day—he tweets out stuff that's inflammatory and contradictory, all these bullshit claims. I gotta say, you can say what you want about his negotiating tactics."
Maher quipped that "the silent treatment" is one tactic Trump has not mastered.
Ceasefire and Claims of Victory
Trump recently extended an originally two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal and has frequently claimed the war is already "won." He said last month "it was over" in "the first hour" of the conflict and declared the latest ceasefire a "total and complete victory" for the U.S.
Maher had previously mocked former Vice President Kamala Harris for opposing the Iran War, but his stance has shifted. He was initially supportive of bombing Iran when Trump launched strikes in February, leading Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz—through which a fifth of the world's oil passes. Maher even mocked Harris at the time and later needed his guests to explain why the U.S. could not forcibly reopen the strait.
Maher's Changed Perspective
He has since urged Trump to "cut and run" from the war, admitting earlier this month that he believed bombing Tehran would liberate the country and spark an uprising against the regime's armed forces.
"Turns out, the one thing we are really good at is killing their leaders who are too stupid to go underground when we're trying to kill them," said Maher on Friday. "That's what we've got."
