Ep. #699: Sen. John Fetterman, Ian Bremmer & Rutger Bregman

Summary

Real Time with Bill Maher – Episode #699: Sen. John Fetterman, Ian Bremmer & Rutger Bregman

Release Date: June 14, 2025
Host: Bill Maher
Guests: Sen. John Fetterman, Ian Bremmer, Rutger Bregman

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I. Introduction: Unrest in Los Angeles and Political Climate (00:00 – 08:33)

Bill Maher opens the episode by addressing the current unrest in Los Angeles, attributing much of the tension to the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. He highlights the polarized media portrayal of the city as either being under siege by illegal immigrants or caught in violent chaos, depending on the news outlet.

Key Points:

• Impact of Trump's Policies: Maher discusses how Trump's promise to "round up all the illegals" has led to increased ICE raids, drawing a line between American-made products and those produced overseas.
• Media Polarization: The host criticizes both Fox News and MSNBC for their extreme portrayals of the city's situation, emphasizing the everyday concerns of residents over sensational headlines.
• Local Response: Maher notes that despite the unrest, cultural activities like performances at the LA Opera continue, albeit with heightened security and tension.

Notable Quote:

"The authorities told the people who live there in that area, just to be on the safe side, remain in your tents. [00:35]" – Bill Maher

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II. Israel-Iran Conflict: Strategic Implications (08:33 – 23:09)

The conversation shifts to the major international event of Israel's recent military actions against Iran, where Israel conducted a significant raid targeting Iran's nuclear facilities.

Key Points:

• Rutger Bregman's Stance: Bregman supports Israel's actions, stating, “We can't ever allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon... they have a really once in a generation opportunity to take the nuclear facilities out.” [08:58]
• War Crimes Debate: Maher raises concerns about potential war crimes, especially in light of a statement from former Israeli Prime Minister Olmert accusing Israel of such acts. Bregman vehemently denies these accusations, emphasizing the existential threat posed by Hamas and Iran.
• Historical Context: The discussion delves into the long-standing Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting the complexity and historical grievances that fuel current tensions.

Notable Quotes:

"I really do think absolutely, absolutely. I don't believe Israel has incurred any kind of war crimes." – Rutger Bregman [10:28]

“Hamas could just simply ... send those people home, disarm and there would be peace.” – Rutger Bregman [11:57]

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III. Rutger Bregman’s Challenges within the Democratic Party (13:17 – 18:32)

Bill Maher addresses Rutger Bregman's recent struggles within the Democratic Party, including the resignation of his chief of staff and public criticisms aimed at his behavior.

Key Points:

• Internal Party Conflict: Bregman explains that certain factions within the Democratic Party are attempting to undermine him by portraying him as unstable, citing his honest stances on various issues.
• Missed Senate Votes: Maher brings up criticisms regarding Bregman’s attendance in the Senate. Bregman clarifies that the votes he missed were largely procedural and not pivotal, emphasizing his high attendance rate otherwise.
• Bridging Political Divides: The discussion touches on Bregman’s efforts to engage with opposing political figures, such as having dinner with Trump, which has led to backlash within his own party.

Notable Quotes:

“Parts of my party just wants to turn me into a Colonel Kurtz...” – Rutger Bregman [14:15]

“Senators have missed more votes than I did. But they weren't breaking the kind of rules that I've been.” – Rutger Bregman [15:01]

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IV. Immigration and Border Control: Diverging Policies (18:32 – 31:15)

The conversation moves to immigration policies, highlighting the contrasting approaches between the Trump and Biden administrations.

Key Points:

• Trump’s Immigration Policies: Bregman criticizes Trump’s methods, labeling border closures as performative and ineffective in the long term. He notes that while the border is technically closed, the practical effects are minimal.
• Public Opinion on Immigration: Ian Bremmer adds that there's widespread agreement on the necessity for controlled immigration, yet policy solutions remain fragmented.
• Effectiveness of Policies: The panel discusses the paradox where stricter border policies under Trump have deceptively lowered deportation numbers compared to Biden’s administration, yet the overall issue remains unresolved.

Notable Quotes:

“The border's a win.” – John Fetterman [27:09]

“If we just do it, for example.” – Ian Bremmer on American immigration policies [28:30]

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V. Local Unrest in LA and Political Reactions (31:15 – 48:54)

Bill Maher discusses the local unrest in Los Angeles, critiquing the fragmented nature of protests and the dilution of specific causes into broader, often unrelated, agendas.

Key Points:

• Fragmented Protests: Maher illustrates how protests in LA have devolved into a mix of diverse and sometimes contradictory messages, weakening their overall impact.
• Gavin Newsom’s Response: The panel examines Governor Newsom’s approach to the unrest, portraying him as attempting to align with Trump's more authoritarian tactics but questioning its effectiveness and reception.
• Democratic Party’s Strategy: Ian Bremmer emphasizes the importance of a unified pro-democracy front and a positive agenda to combat rising authoritarian tendencies.

Notable Quotes:

“They just don't know how to stick to a single cause.” – Bill Maher on protest fragmentation [34:53]

“The new populism that's coming politically in this country... it's actually progressive, it's urban, it's educated...” – John Fetterman [43:22]

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VI. The Rise of AI and the Future of Work (41:04 – 47:24)

The discussion transitions to the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market and societal structures, forecasting significant disruptions.

Key Points:

• AI’s Disruptive Potential: Ian Bremmer warns about the rapid advancements in AI potentially rendering many jobs obsolete, both blue and white-collar.
• Universal Basic Income (UBI): The panel explores UBI as a possible solution to the displacement caused by AI, debating its feasibility and economic implications.
• Changing Nature of Work: Rutger Bregman and John Fetterman discuss the necessity of redefining work and societal value in an AI-dominated future, emphasizing the urgent need for policy adaptation.

Notable Quotes:

“We need a completely new social contract.” – Rutger Bregman [44:57]

“Basic income, that's what we need.” – Ian Bremmer [41:46]

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VII. Trump’s Parade and Its Implications (47:24 – 49:25)

The final major discussion focuses on Trump’s planned parade, examining its symbolism and potential impact on American democracy.

Key Points:

• Symbolism of the Parade: Maher expresses concern over the militaristic display with tanks in the streets, viewing it as a destabilizing and unprecedented move in American politics.
• Implications for Democracy: Ian Bremmer draws parallels to European authoritarian tactics, warning that such displays could erode democratic norms in the U.S.
• Political Division: The panelists debate whether the parade will further divide the American populace or serve as a catalyst for political unity against authoritarianism.

Notable Quotes:

“It's a really bad precedent that you don't want to see in, you know, one of the oldest democracies in the world.” – Ian Bremmer [48:54]

“We need leaders, not winners.” – John Fetterman [49:08]

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VIII. Conclusion and New Rules Segment (49:25 – End)

Bill Maher wraps up the episode with his signature "New Rules" segment, humorously addressing current events and societal quirks.

Highlights:

• Critical Take on Current Events: Maher satirizes various issues, from immigration enforcement to celebrity behavior, maintaining his irreverent comedic tone.
• Final Remarks on Leadership: The episode concludes with a reinforcement of the need for genuine leadership over divisive politics.

Notable Quotes:

“Everyone has to stop being mad at Elon Musk long enough to consider his latest idea.” – Bill Maher [32:24]

“Do you think Trump liked having his face in a mug shot? ... That's not you.” – Bill Maher [31:53]

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Key Takeaways:

• International Security: Israel's aggressive stance against Iran is seen as a strategic move to prevent nuclear proliferation, though it raises ethical questions.
• Political Fragmentation: The Democratic Party faces internal conflicts, particularly with members like Rutger Bregman who challenge party norms.
• Immigration Policies: There's a clear need for balanced immigration reforms that protect borders while recognizing the economic and social contributions of immigrants.
• AI and Future of Work: The rapid advancement of AI necessitates urgent policy responses, including discussions around UBI and reimagining the workforce.
• Democratic Resilience: The planned Trump parade is viewed as a potential threat to democratic norms, underscoring the importance of unified pro-democracy efforts.

Conclusion:

Episode #699 of "Real Time with Bill Maher" offers a comprehensive exploration of pressing political and social issues, featuring insightful discussions with Sen. John Fetterman, Ian Bremmer, and Rutger Bregman. From international conflicts and party politics to the looming challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the episode underscores the complexities facing contemporary democracy and the imperative for thoughtful leadership and unified action.

Transcript

[Bill Maher]

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[John Fetterman]

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[Bill Maher]

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[John Fetterman]

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[Bill Maher]

Xs are later required. The Vitals app is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. Hey there, travelers. Kaley Cuoco here. Sorry to interrupt your music, great artist, BT Dubs, but wouldn't you rather be there to hear it live? With Priceline, you can get out of your dreams and into your dream concert. They've got millions of travel deals to get you to that festival, gig, rave, sound bath or sonic experience you've been dreaming of. Download the Priceline app today and you can save up to 60% off hotels and up to 50% off flights. So don't just dream about that trip. Book it with Priceline. Go to your happy price. Priceline. Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late night series Real Time with Bill Maher. Thank you very much. Hello. Thank you, people. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Thank you. You look great. Thank you so much. Welcome. Welcome to L. A. Where something is always on. Why always us? If we've had a little unrest, you know, a little, you know, let's not overdo this, okay? And it all began. Well, it all began when Trump got elected. Okay, well, because. Well, because. Because he said, look, he's just doing what he said. He said, I'm gonna round up all the illegals. So now they're doing it. ICE came to town and they raided a garment factory. You know, I gotta say this to make up your mind. Do you want things made in America or don't you? But it's so interesting, you know, people get their news from either one side or the other. If you watch the national news, this city is under siege, either on Fox News, under siege by illegal immigrants on MSNBC, under siege by, you know, jackbooted thugs. And 99% of us just want to know, is it safe to pick someone up at the airport? Is that. No, it's. I mean, I've lived here a long time. I've seen some shit. Okay, this is, it's a few blocks downtown. It's downtown. We've been downtown. The authorities told the people who live there in that area, just to be on the safe side, remain in your tents. Oh, I kid L. A, no, here's, here's how super dangerous this situation is within the area where it's happening. A little curfew area a few blocks. The LA Opera is Located, and they're still going on. Rigoletto is still playing there. So little tip, if you're planning on looting, wear a tuxedo. Okay? I mean, this is, this is such a minor crisis. Mayor Bass didn't even leave town. We can gently, but, you know, it is getting chippy out there. Did you see the press conference the other day? Kristi Noem, our Homeland Secretary, was, was here, and one of our senators, Alex Padilla, I don't know if they knew it was him, but he stood up to ask a question and confront her, and they fucking frog marched him out of there and threw him on the ground and started to cuff him. And Gavin Newsom said, now do me. I tell you, if anyone is ready for his clothes close up, it's Gavin. I think this is his moment. I do. Okay, but we'll get to that on the panel. But, you know, but you know, it's, it's getting a little tense out there, you know, and you know, it's tense in LA when you read news about the Middle east to relax. Oh, yeah, that. Well, that is the other giant story that just happened today. We tape on Friday. Okay? It's Friday the 13th. Woo. I don't know if that, I don't know if that's why Israel did. But Israel has had it up to here with fighting Iran's proxies. And this time, okay, Netanyahu said, I'm going after Barzini, okay? I'm taking care of all family business. And a giant raid on Iran, on their military facilities, on their nuclear facilities, killed their top three military commanders. I'd just like to say to the President, that's what an invasion looks like, not six guys hanging out of Home Depot. Okay, so now we have another war. And out of habit today, Trump said, this would never have happened if I was president. And of course, predictably, Hezbollah, that's one of Iran's proxies, they condemned the attack and they said they were awaiting instructions on how to respond. Check your pagers, guys. Now, as for why Israel did it, of course they wanted to knock out their nukes, but I don't know if that happened. But also an Israeli insider said the ultimate goal is regime change. Yeah, join the club. But, well, I tell you, Trump is having his big parade tomorrow. Tomorrow, you know this, right? I'm going to be glued to the tv. I don't think this is a good idea to have tanks in the street, but that's what we're doing. So, of course, a lot of people don't like this 2000 cities are having an uprising. We'll see if it's an uprising. But a demonstration called no Kings. Because you know, he is acting a little king. Like it's called Tomorrow is called no Kings. Nationwide day of Defiance. Real catchy, I'd say. If only liberals had brought this level of enthusiasm to a nationwide day of voting. It's always after. And finally this, I gotta say, this did look a little kingy. Trump unveiled this week. Oh, I love this. This man, a trump card. Of course, it's gold for foreign nationals. Can purchase for $5 million to become a citizen. Yes. We're so against any foreign national getting to this country. We're sending the fucking marines. But you know what? We're not animals. We can be bought. Okay, we got a great show. Ian Bremmer and Rutger Bregman are here. But there he is, he is the badass Democratic senator from Pennsylvania. John Fetterman is here. Well, there he is.

[Rutger Bregman]

Oh, my God.

[Bill Maher]

How are you? Oh, thank you. See? See, they still like you here.

[Rutger Bregman]

Oh, yeah.

[Bill Maher]

I know you've been getting a lot of shit out there and we're going to get to that. But first up, I mean, this is one of my easier days because there's so going on and you're a sitting senator. So I just want to get your take first of all on Iran, Israel, they finally did it. What do you think? Sure.

[Rutger Bregman]

Well, I mean, I think you and I agree a lot of the things about Israel and things like that. So I absolutely, I think I was maybe the only one that said we really have to fully support him taking out Iran at this point, we can't ever allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. But also as well too, after Israel was able to destroy the proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas as well too, they have a really once in a generation opportunity to take the nuclear facilities out. So for me right now, I think they did absolutely the right thing.

[Bill Maher]

Ok. And what about the war in Gaza? Now? Both of us, I think, have taken a lot of heat because we support Israel sort of forthrightly and a lot of people don't, Obviously, there's a lot of horrible destruction and loss of life on both sides. Obviously, Hamas started that war. Israel has prosecuted it. And some people say too far. Now, one of their ex prime ministers, Olmert, this is an ex prime minister, is now saying Israel is committing war crimes. I keep saying, you know, do you think Hamas needs to be destroyed? And people say yes. And then the next question is, well, how do we know when that is. Now we may find out that Netanyahu has gone too far. What do you think about this? Does this change your thinking at all that an ex Prime Minister would say this?

[Rutger Bregman]

No, I really do think absolutely, absolutely. I don't believe Israel has incurred any kind of war crimes. And then I also think we've seen a lot of language been cheapened as well too. There was never a genocide. That was never part of that conversation after all. I mean, this is a 20 month war. If Israel's goal was to eliminate as many Palestinians, they could have done a lot more of that. They were forced to fight, you know, fight through where they embed Hamas embeds in the hospitals and in the schools and the camps as well. So for me, where we're at right now, where they are, people are putting Israel to a double standard. Now Hamas could just simply just, you know, you have human beings under aground for over 600 years, held against their will, send those people home, you know, and disarm and there would be peace and we could all move on right now. So for me, now it's really, for me, you know, Israel was not starving people. You know, there was no kind of a genocide, there's no war crimes. That just was an existential war. And now we all have to be honest. You could never have to rebuild Gaza, which we have to rebuild Gaza if Hamas is allowed to be in force. It's just, you know, you just have to be honest. And I think that's really the truth. And our party, the Democratic Party, has lost that argument. And they've taken side with the regime that doesn't have the kind of values and live the kind of ways that we want here in our country.

[Bill Maher]

I think one thing people forget a lot because they only read stuff that's happening now is that this has been going on for 75 years. That's pretty much as long as Israel has existed a little more. And throughout the entire time, they have been constantly under attack. So it's not just what happened yesterday or last year, this attack against Iran, what's going on in Gaza. This has been brewing for the better part of a century and it could all end tomorrow if everybody would just come to the peace table. Now Israel has done that. I know they didn't like what was offered, but that's sort of the history that I don't think the young people seem to want to learn. They seem to only want to see what happened yesterday. And what happened yesterday, of course, was tragic.

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah, no, absolutely, of course. So for me, absolutely. Right now, we have to push this through. And Israel, I think, let's also remind everybody now, Iran, we can't ever allow for the region to allow them to acquire a nuclear weapon. So here we are right now. It's going to continue until Iran is really just acknowledged that they're not able to defend the regime anymore.

[Bill Maher]

Do you think this is the issue that made people sort of turn on you? I see. I saw recently reports you had. I think your chief of staff quit on you and start talking shit about you.

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

And we know you made no secret of it. In fact, you purposely publicized it so that people would take inspiration from it, that you had a stroke, you had issues with depression. And it seemed to me like they were sort of weaponizing that to say you'd gone crazy. And I did smell kind of a rat here. When I read that you were driving recklessly and too much time on Twitter and, like, you know, megalomania, I'm like, hmm, so defend yourself here, John. I mean, I don't think you're crazy. You don't seem crazy, but. And I have certainly seen people who refused to go all the way with the purity lovers on the left suddenly castigated and cast out and attacked like this. So is that what's going on?

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah, absolutely. Parts of my party just wants to turn me into a Colonel Kurtz, you know, and just claim that. It's like, oh, like, I'm just like.

[Bill Maher]

You look like you could play the part.

[Rutger Bregman]

So really that would happen, you know, after Israel and at the border and some of the times I might have to disagree with my party. And that's really. We brought us to that place where, you know, just that kind of a canceling was a little bit of different thing. But now we've all moved on from that. But absolutely, that's the truth.

[Bill Maher]

Some of the things they said were that you weren't showing up. And then I read further and read what you said about it, and it seemed like you weren't showing up for bullshit. But a lot of what the senators are required to do just doesn't matter. You don't really have to be there. One of them is called Bed Check. What is that?

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah, Bed Check vote. It's like these votes really doesn't matter. They're. That's why they're called Bed Check. It's just like you had a choice. It's like they were just procedural thing. And I just. I took the opportunity to spend an extra day with my young children in that. So now that's. And I've made 90% of the votes. So none of them were determinative. So for me, you know, people in the Senate have missed more votes than I did. But, you know, they weren't breaking the kind of rules that I've been. So they kind of used that to weaponize that in a very cynical way.

[Bill Maher]

They also seem to go after you because you will talk to the other side. You talk to Trump. We all know that's bad. Well, yeah.

[Rutger Bregman]

We'Re one of the few people that actually have dinner with Trump.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah. And you also, I think, I don't know if you had dinner with Steve Bannon, but he was at your table or something at a restaurant that MAGA people go to. It's like, what, are we in high school now? You can't sit at the same lunch table with these people.

[Rutger Bregman]

I wasn't even having dinner with him.

[Bill Maher]

With Steve Bannon dropped by the table.

[Rutger Bregman]

Well, no, he lives close by. And the guy that I was having a beer with, the guys, Steve said, hey, I'd like to come over and just say hello. And. Sure, that's fine. He just sat down. We weren't having dinner, doing anything like that. I hate to use the phrase fake news, but that really was. I wasn't, like, having, you know, like, dinner with Steve Bannon, but I was just hanging out, talking to the other side. And now if you break those kinds of rules, then you do have to pay a price for that, and I.

[Bill Maher]

Know you have, too, but you could have dinner with them. Right? It wouldn't turn you into a zombie.

[Rutger Bregman]

Well, I mean, it's like, when I first got into my career, people assumed, like, it was a socialist or a Marxist. And now people think that I'm going to turn into a MAGA and I'm going to go this other way. And I'm like, no, my values haven't changed. But I think in some cases that. I think our party's values have changed. And then there's been a lot of flux for me, professionally. I'm not going to change my.

[John Fetterman]

For you.

[Bill Maher]

I see they're after you now because you condemn some of the violence that's going on here in this city and said, it doesn't do the Democratic Party any good to defend that now. I have to say, living here and having seen a lot of shit happen in this town, this is not one of the worst ones. I mean, come on. Potus, please. Insurrection. Oh, yeah, you know, but this is. But, you know, I agree. When they see it in a campaign ad. When they see the guy with the Mexican flag and the Waymo burning behind him, it's going to be good for Trump.

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah, well, that's what I'm saying. It's like this is an amazing city that we're in here now and America, we don't want to see it on fire twice in just six months now. So. And those optics, I just run that, I run that through like what's the people like in and Scrant might see those kind of images and those kinds of videos that they. So for me, it's like acknowledging that I absolutely was unapologetically free speech, peaceful protesting, pro immigration.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, you know you're a Democrat. Exactly.

[Rutger Bregman]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

They got mad at you because they said I'm not a progressive. Well, we don't even know what these terms mean woke progressive. Everybody has a different definition in their head. I took it to mean like me, I'm an old school liberal. I'm an old school Democrat.

[Rutger Bregman]

Exactly, exactly. That's the thing. It's like your values I don't think have changed. And no, wine haven't really changed, but I think our party has changed. And now if you actually kind of point out and call out a lot of these things, you know, you do take a political price for a lot of those things.

[Bill Maher]

Right. And it doesn't mean we're turning a blind eye to the worst things that are happening on the right. I mean, for the people who think I dinner with Trump and I changed, I kept my honor. I'm here every week making the same jokes about him I always did. Just, it's not that hard. It's not that hard.

[Rutger Bregman]

And for me, you know, for me on my side, it's like, where are my votes? Where are my votes? Like, for example, the big beautiful bill, I'm going to vote that down, you know, because, you know, because for me, I mean, I, I could never support cutting Medicaid or cutting SNAP or those kinds of things. But to me, I'm never going to be a part of the 40 trillion club. And now that's going to push our debt up to $40 trillion. I mean, it's incredibly dangerous. A lot of the things that have been happening since Trump took the office, a lot of it's just, a lot of it's professional wrestling. But for this, if they pass the big. Yeah, if they pass the big beautiful bill and now that will change our nation and that's going to impact, truly impact millions and millions of people. And now when you are going to look at the debt at that point, that's really truly dangerous. And that's why I use fewer words, because and then when I call out something really it's something to be concerned. That bill is and now it seems more and more likely that they are going to pass that, especially after Mr. Musk had his kind of meltdown, that really I think a lot of the Republicans kind of rallied around Donald Trump. And now that makes it now much more of an imperative to pass that.

[Bill Maher]

Well, John, you don't seem crazy to me. Thank you for coming here and being not crazy. You keep being not crazy in the Senate, will you, my friend? All right, John Fetterman, let's meet our panel. Okay. Hey, guys.

[John Fetterman]

All right.

[Bill Maher]

He is a Dutch historian and author of the book Moral Ambition. Stop Waiting and Start Making a Difference. Rutger, Bregman. Rutger, great to have you for the first time. And our returning champion. You all know he's the president and founder of the Eurasia Group and Gzero Media, Ian Bremmer back with us for the many a time. Okay, so let's first talk about the Iran thing because it just happened today. Now, I don't know when you're watching this, very few people watch things when they actually happen, although this show does pretty well with that. But we are 7 o' clock Eastern Eastern Standard Time, Friday night, the 13th. I don't know what's going to sit like now. I'll give you what we have as the updates. Israel intercepted two hostile aircraft, I guess from Iran that were coming over to southern Israel. New Israeli strikes on the capital since the big attack. They're not stopping. Trump's Boko Netanyahu. And the injury count in Israel, up to 40, but no deaths. I guess I'll ask the big question, the bigger war, who wins?

[John Fetterman]

Oh, the bigger war. The Iranians are in huge trouble here. There's virtually nothing that they can do militarily against either Israel or the United States. It's pretty desperate for them. You remember at the end of the first Trump administration when Trump decided to order the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, who was running the Iranian defense force at that point, people freaked out. Iran said a lot. Iran was incapable of responding. This is a much bigger deal for them. And they're equally incapable.

[Bill Maher]

And this has been coming for a long time because about was it eight months ago, Israel took out all their really missile their defenses. So they had complete air superiority and.

[John Fetterman]

Took out their most important proxy, Hezbollah.

[Bill Maher]

And took out the leader of Hezbollah, took out the Leader of Hamas. Now, they took out their leadership.

[John Fetterman]

Assad fell in Syria, so they can't get weapons to Hezbollah anymore. So the big question that everyone has to ask out there is if the Iranian leaders become desperate because it's not like they're sympathetic to the rest of the world. It's not like the outcry for the Palestinians. Civilians who can't defend themselves need food. This is an incredibly brutal, theocratic regime. Exports terror, in breach of all these, you know, Security Council resolutions, ballistic missiles, supported proxies, you name it. But we need to understand the Straits of Hormuz, where a large amount of the world's oil tankers pass through. If they could do anything, it would be to stop that traffic. And if they were to do that, oil prices are over 100, they're probably over 150. That's a global recession. Now, that's the end of Iran. But it's close to the end of Iran, given what we've seen over the last 24 hours. And that is, I think, what everyone is going to be concerned about going forward.

[Bill Maher]

So what do the Dutch think about this, Rutger? Well, usually that's who I usually turn to.

[Ian Bremmer]

You know, we Europeans look on and we're like, okay, we're going to bomb the Middle east again. That usually doesn't end well. So I'm curious, what do you think, Ian? Is this like the beginning of a new period of destabilization in the region, or is this like another mother of all catastrophes?

[John Fetterman]

The Germans came out, the French came out, the Brits came out all in support of Israel right now. And they're not supportive of Israel on the Palestinian issue at all, but on Iran, they absolutely are. So, I mean, the fact is Trump wants to be a peacemaker, right? I mean, that's, in a sense, the bigger story here is that Trump's 0 and 2 on peace right now, right? He tried with the Russians, he failed. He tried with the Iranians, he failed. But having failed with the Russians, he pivoted away from Putin. He's not acting like a Russian asset. He said, this guy went crazy. And when the Ukrainians took out hundred million dollar planes, Trump came out and said, well, that's what's gonna happen.

[Bill Maher]

He may have been part of this plan. I mean, he may have been.

[John Fetterman]

He knew.

[Bill Maher]

He knew.

[John Fetterman]

Of course he knew.

[Bill Maher]

Well, but they made it look like he didn't. It made it look like he and Israel were separating. When he went to the Middle east, remember, he skipped Israel. That could have been part of this. And he was having, at the same time that Israel was planning on the bombing, he was having peace meetings about the nuclear situation. Maybe he lulled them.

[John Fetterman]

I think that the first person that Trump invited to the White House after Liberation Day was Netanyahu. And unlike Zelensky's trip to the White House, you did not see any threat of suspending intelligence, suspending American aid. Trump has been the biggest supporter of Israel globally, bar none. No one's even close. And over the last week, it was the Trump administration that actually pulled all of the non essential personnel from all of the American bases within ballistic missile striking distance of. The thing that surprises me is not that the Americans knew, it's not that the Americans greenlit the attack. What surprised me is having seen all of that, why were the Iranians acting like business as usual? Why weren't their military leaders actually hunkered down and not together? Because, I mean, the level of organizational incompetence here for me is staggering.

[Bill Maher]

All right, let's talk about the shit hitting the fan closer to home. That's la. Why is it always us? As a longtime resident, I have to ask that.

[Ian Bremmer]

I was honestly a bit disappointed, Bill. Like my mother said, are you going to la? Is that safe? It was flying in and Washington. I went and was like, where are the fires? Where are the riots? I was honestly a bit disappointed. Like, is this it? Like a couple of bucks? Like you call this mass protest? This is nothing.

[Bill Maher]

Come on, this is nothing. And it just makes me so sad because I feel like none of this would be happening if we had only been able to make the bargain that most Americans would have liked to have made all these years. And it has been on the table. It's sort of like the Palestinian thing. It's been on the table many times, something that was viable. And that bargain is, we don't really want to throw out people, even if they're illegal, if they're working here and they're not criminals, when they, you know, they're not invaders. They're working here and obviously we need them working here. And the people who hire them want them here. And the people we in LA know we couldn't live without the illegals here. We'd all just die. But what Trump is doing is legal, doesn't mean it's right. But if we could have just made that grand bargain, just okay, if you're here, even though if you didn't get in, you know, exactly kosher, you're grandfathered in, if you're not a criminal and we will close the border. That it's such an easy. It seems to me, and we did that. The border is closed.

[John Fetterman]

No, the border's a win.

[Bill Maher]

The border's a win.

[John Fetterman]

That's an 8020 issue for Trump. And you talk about. Trump always chickens out. Not on Mexico. He's hit the Mexico Mexicans hard. And the Mexican president, with 80% approval has said, okay, I'm going to do everything I can, and those people aren't coming over. That's a win. I did find it interesting. I know he posted lots of things, but when he came out and said, well, you know, I've heard from my friends in the hotel industry, I've heard from my friends in agriculture industry, and maybe I need to let these people like that are hardworking. I need to, like, let them stay. I'm like, why'd it take you so long to figure that out? It's almost like poof. It's not like Putin, you know.

[Bill Maher]

Because. And that's not to belabor the point, but that is why it's important that everybody who can talk to him talks to him, because he does listen to a lot of people. What sticks, I don't know what's he gonna do the next day, But I've certainly heard lots of stories like this. You know, somebody. It's not gonna come from the usual government. It's not how he works. He's not a government person. That wasn't his background. He's a business guy. It's very often the last person he talks to. But if it's something like this, yeah, maybe that's the only hope. You have no other power Democrats, you might as well try that.

[Ian Bremmer]

Yeah. It's the irony, right, that now that the border is closed, the deportation numbers are way down compared to the Biden administration. And then some Democrats started trolling, you know, Trump, like, hey, your numbers are so low.

[Bill Maher]

Right.

[Ian Bremmer]

And now we're with this shit show. So it's just like the vast majority of people agree, right. That, you know, you need some control on the border, Right? Yes. And the Biden administration, vast majority of people also agree that, you know, immigration is pretty useful. This is a pretty pro immigration country compared to where I'm from. If we just do it, for example.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah. Just, just, just have a system. We had no system.

[Rutger Bregman]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

But I also would like to say this to Kristi Noem now, as the longest serving talk show host here in LA, I've been in this studio since 1996 with Politically Incorrect. I have the same phone number. I Don't know what it is, but I have it. And I was just told, by the way, next we have one more show before our summer break, and I'm told That is our 700th real time episode. We've been here a long time. And I've been in LA a long time. 42 years out here. And Kristi Noem, that's our Homeland Security Secretary, she said the other day, we are not going away. We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists. Well, Christy, honey, I gotta tell you, having lived here this long with some of the frustration, sometimes I want to be liberated from the socialists. But, honey, we will handle it ourselves, okay? We don't need you to come out from Washington. We don't need no outside agitators, meddling federal government coming in here telling us how to live. We will handle it ourselves.

[John Fetterman]

Trump does well when he's himself, right? When Trump announces 2000, then 4000 National Guard members, when he announces 700 Marines, everyone knows that he has no interest in helping the great people of Los Angeles. Everyone knows that he's doing it for performative reasons, that he's not trying to make a difference. And I think that. And we've seen that play out in the numbers on immigration. It's his single best issue. It was one of the big reasons he was beating Biden, that he beat Kamala Harris. And the first time we've seen him go underwater is on his response to this.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, but in the. In the campaign ad as I was talking to John about, they're gonna show the guy that says, you know, no one is illegal on stolen land. Well, give me a fucking break, okay? You know, we're not giving it back. I'm sorry. There's no doubt.

[John Fetterman]

Sorry, Netherlands.

[Bill Maher]

I mean, I'm sure it really does belong to the Chumash people. But you know what? You don't want that to be a pizza. Not the Pizza Hut anymore either. You want America, and it's just a silly thing, and that's what's gonna hurt the Democrats.

[Ian Bremmer]

I received an email the other day from someone who had this signature in her email saying, like, we wanna apologize for the fact that our office is on indigenous land. I was like, well, if you feel so sorry about it, give it back.

[Rutger Bregman]

Right?

[Ian Bremmer]

I mean, imagine. Imagine if, like, Vladimir Putin would have sent an email, you know, to some Ukrainians saying, like, we want to apologize that our headquarters is on stolen land.

[Bill Maher]

Right?

[Ian Bremmer]

That would be pretty ridiculous as well.

[John Fetterman]

This episode is brought to you by.

[Rutger Bregman]

Amazon prime from streaming to shopping. Prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon music, and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more.

[Bill Maher]

The new McCrispy Strip is here. Dip approved by Ketchup Tangy barbecue, Honey mustard, honey mustard, Sprite, McFlurry, Big Mac sauce, Double dipped in buffalo and Ranch, More ranch and creamy chili. McCrispy strip dip now at McDonald's. This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two factor authentication, strong passwords and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for 40% off. Terms apply. Well, I love the stuff that you have said about what It's a moral imperative to actually win elections. And I want to get to that in a minute. But first I want to call up this idea of no Kings Day. Now, Democrats, they have a real problem focusing when they have a demonstration. Remember Pussy Hat Day? And that devolved into a lot of things. And now they have tomorrow is no King's Day because we don't want Trump to be a king. I agree with that. We don't want him to be a king. But as all these things, it starts out as one thing, and then it devolves into Palestine and green energy and, you know, close the gun loopholes and everything. I mean, look at some of the pictures. These are from out there that are people. This is the demonstration that started about ice. And then it becomes no one's illegal on stolen land. And it's, there's some pro Palestinian people out there. And then this guy's shirt says, God bless abortions. This dinosaur eats fascists. Oh, now it's about fascists. This is my favorite. This lady thinks she's God and wants to do ayahuasca. So, like, it just becomes crazy. But you know what? Those are not the only signs that get off the track. Would you like to see somebody? Because I'm telling you, they just don't know how to stick to a single cause. For example, there's globalize the enchilada. Oh, that's just look at this one. Queers for Burning Waymos. That's I'm illegal and I vote. Well, that's not helping anybody.

[Rutger Bregman]

That.

[Bill Maher]

Free the nickel. Well, for fuck's sake, that's Kendrick is better than Drake. No, these are not vegetarians for eating the rich. These are things that are not helpful. Mothers Against Drunk. Defense Secretaries. Oh, well, fuck it. More machetes for crazy homeless people. That's not helping. Fight the real enemy. My roommate Gary and not a protester, got lost on the 405. All right, so. But. But you know what happens in movies. As soon as there's a big problem, a hero will rise. And I think we saw that this week, because Gavin Newsom. This makes me feel good because, you know, people make fun of me all the time. Why do you stick with Gavin? What are you. He's. He sways too far left. Yeah. But he's been moving to the center lately, and he kind of had his moment now. I mean, did a joke in the monologue about it, but, like, he's saying Trump likes this. I think he might like this, too, because, you know, Democrats have been looking for somebody. You know, Cory Booker stood up there for 25 hours. That's not. You know, he did, like, one of those filibusters. It was like. It wasn't sexy. It wasn't said.

[John Fetterman]

He didn't go to the bathroom the entire time.

[Bill Maher]

Right. Didn't go to the bathroom the entire time. Right. That was okay. That's not gonna get the job done. But Gavin Newsom going up there saying, arrest me, tough guy. Show some of Gavin's tough guy speech there. Come after me. Arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy. Okay. You think Trump liked having his face in a mug shot? This guy wants his face on a mug shot. He could become, like, one of the hot felons. I mean, you know, they always have those hot felons and then just add them right to the mix. So am I wrong about this? That Is he now the guy for the Democratic Party, like, I always thought he would be.

[Ian Bremmer]

So mixed feelings. I guess it's just like, with this administration. Like, on the one hand, it's all very, very funny. Right. It's a very clownish administration in many respects. On the other hand, you know, I also think, you know, it's genuinely an anonymous sign that, you know, some of the best historians of fascism are now leaving the country, saying it's better to leave early rather than too late. And as a European, the stuff that happens right now really reminds Me of stuff that we've seen in Europe, the crackdown on universities, on Harvard, for example, Hungarians can tell us all about that. What Orban did to Central European University. Or take the crackdown on the independent legal system, the judiciary, same thing in Poland. Got sort of mixed feelings. I guess the one thing that relieves me is that it's also incompetent. Like, if Viktor Orban would be in charge right now, it would be much more worried because that guy's genuinely smart.

[John Fetterman]

What I worry, we know that what's going to win in the United States, Someone that can take care of pocketbook issues, someone that can take care of local security issues. Authoritarianism and fighting. Authoritarianism doesn't win. We can talk about it. It doesn't win. And when Gavin came up and he said, you know, this guy is trying to be a king, let's remember in 2024, almost no one voted on democracy, even though Joe and Kamala tried to make the election about that. And the people that said that they were voting, that cared about democracy, most of them voted for Trump because they believed that democracy was already so stolen, so kleptocratic, so controlled that they wanted someone that was going to shake things up.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, but this administration is different. This is new. A lot of new stuff has happened since then. Trump, too, is not the same as Trump. 1.

[John Fetterman]

I agree.

[Bill Maher]

In the first Trump administration, he said, you know what, presidents can't order troops in without the governor say. So what changed? He said, well, incompetent governor, it's the same governor. The governor didn't change. What changed is that he's not surrounded.

[John Fetterman]

Mattis isn't there. Milley isn't there. You know, Esper isn't there.

[Bill Maher]

Right. The guy's egging him on now.

[John Fetterman]

Just loyalists.

[Bill Maher]

Right?

[John Fetterman]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

I think that is something the voter does notice.

[Ian Bremmer]

Yeah. So here are a couple of basic lessons from history. One, to prevent democratic backsliding, authoritarian takeover, you need a unified pro democracy front, you know, from the left to the center.

[Bill Maher]

Right.

[Ian Bremmer]

We gotta try and overcome some of our differences. Right. No purity politics. And we even gotta try and work with people when we find really annoying and we can go back to dunking on them, you know, once democracy is safe. But that's really important for now. The second thing is you actually need to have a positive agenda, you know, to your point, just saying, like, hold the institutions, that's really not going to work. Right. You got to show that you're the party of building of abundance, as they call it today, that you actually get shit done. It's often said that we're now living through the second Gilded Age. If I think about the first Gilded Age, you know, the late 19th century, it was an era with incredibly corrupt politicians. But what came after that was obviously the Progressive Era led by amazing politicians like Theodore Roosevelt, who famously said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that, you know, to complain about a problem and not actually do something about it is called whining. And I think that should be the spirit of Democrats today. Right. Not just say about, you know, what you're against. So often, you know, the left has become the party of.

[Bill Maher]

No, okay, so long as you brought this up, you know, because this is what you write a lot about.

[Ian Bremmer]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

And I will not let a show pass without mentioning the robots are taking over. So it's just something I have to say every time. But, you know, one way they're taking over or AI is taking over. And I keep reading it every almost day in the paper, there's another story about the jobs are being taken. First it was the blue collar jobs and now it's the white collar jobs. Those jobs are going away too. AI can do almost everything. And I was talking to somebody about this and they said, why do you have to worry so much about if people have jobs? And I thought, you know, I'm always saying, don't live in a past paradigm. Live in the year we're living in. Maybe having jobs itself is a past paradigm.

[Ian Bremmer]

Exactly.

[Bill Maher]

It is, yeah. How do you get money to buy food? I mean, I'm all for like throwing the past away if it's but universal.

[Ian Bremmer]

Basic income, that's what we need.

[Bill Maher]

So that's giving people money.

[Ian Bremmer]

Yeah, yeah, I think it's.

[Bill Maher]

And what do they do all day to make themselves feel worthy of something?

[Ian Bremmer]

This is the great challenge of the future. You know, John Maynard Keynes, the British economist, in 1980, he published an essay saying that we're going to have a 15 hour workweek in 2030. This has been predicted many, many times. Isaac asimov in the 1950s, a 30 hour work week. No, 15. That the great challenge of the future was going to be boredom. Right. This was always, I think, the goal of capitalism, that the machines would become so productive that we could finally figure out what life is really about. And yeah, now it seems we're on track for, you know, the political piece.

[John Fetterman]

Of this that I worry about. You know, Trump has, and many in Europe as well. In your country, In Germany, the AfD, former East Germany, all of these people that were Part of manufacturing bases. And suddenly, you know, because of trade, because of migration, globalization, they lose their jobs, they're pissed off. And so you've got this far right populism. The new populism that's coming politically in this country because of what you just said is not far right. It's on the left. It's not undereducated, it's not rural, it's not industrial. It's actually progressive. It's urban, it's educated, it's white collar. But they're not gonna have jobs and a political entrepreneur in the United States or a bunch. It's not Gavin Newsom. It's whoever figures out how to speak to those angry people. Because they're gonna be very different angry people than the one that Trump is speaking.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, I mean, so they're gonna riot. I'm gonna get dragged out of a Range Rover by somebody hitting me with a doggy bag from Spargo's. Or.

[John Fetterman]

A waymo.

[Bill Maher]

A way.

[John Fetterman]

Way more.

[Bill Maher]

Much more. Like again, just basic questions. I'm all for like getting rid of Drudge jobs. I've had them. Let's be honest. A lot of this is the difference between a job and a career I've had. Both careers are fun. It's fun to have a career. And they're rewarding and usually well paying. And then jobs is throwing fish product into the vat at Arthur Treacher's. I've done that too. Nobody should have to do that. It is drudgery. But then how do they get money besides, if you're just giving the money? I read if you gave everybody $1,000 a month, which is hard to live on, that it would cost the country $4 trillion a year and we only take in 5 trillion in taxes. And I assume there'll be no taxes because no one's working. So I just don't see how this post job world takes shape.

[Ian Bremmer]

Well, look, Bill, I think this is by far the most important thing that is happening. You know, all the other stuff we're talking about, talking about is really drawn.

[Bill Maher]

By the rise of AI.

[Ian Bremmer]

We're like in February 2020, you know, just before the pandemic hit, and most people are ignoring it.

[Bill Maher]

Good analogy.

[Ian Bremmer]

Is really going to happen and it will have massive consequences. We already see it in education, like many teachers now doesn't make sense anymore. With ChatGPT, it's like people writing papers and then the teachers use ChatGPT to grade those papers as well. This is just the beginning.

[Rutger Bregman]

We're going to need a Computer.

[Ian Bremmer]

We're going to need a completely new social contract. What you just said, you know, the idea that you have to work for a living, that you need a job in order to be a good person, it was already, you know, becoming more and more problematic. We have now 25% of people in the modern workforce that think that their own jobs are bullshit, right? Socially meaningless. And I'm not talking about the teachers and the nurses here. I'm talking about people who went to nice universities, the consultants, the corporate lawyers, the bankers. So that's what we got to keep in mind here.

[Bill Maher]

Don't underestimate bullshit in college. That's why there's no jobs for them.

[John Fetterman]

But when we're telling each other five years ago, just five years ago, the smartest advice that we had for the kids was learn to code.

[Ian Bremmer]

Learn how to code.

[John Fetterman]

Learn how to code, Exactly. That is literally the worst advice now, than get a face tattoo. Okay? You can't do worse than learn to code.

[Bill Maher]

Right. Because that's the job AI can do most easily. Yeah.

[Ian Bremmer]

I think we shouldn't underestimate capitalism's extraordinary ability to come up with new bullshit jobs, though. I mean, it's now, could be much more in the future.

[Bill Maher]

I hear that and I just always ask, what's the example? I mean, if we can't imagine it, how could they come up with it? What could be this job for people who are thrown out of coding and all these other jobs we're talking about doing what, like oiling the robots? I.

[Ian Bremmer]

Look, this is actually, I mean, it could be a good thing, right? This could be our road to utopia. It's a very narrow path, I would say. We just got to realize that you just need a completely different social contract. Very different.

[John Fetterman]

You and I have known each other for decades.

[Bill Maher]

Yes.

[John Fetterman]

Never in my life have I seen something where the people working inside the field in AI have a more radically different view on what is coming literally in the next, like two years from everyone else I know. And we, from a policy perspective, from a government perspective, we're not ready for this.

[Bill Maher]

Are you saying they're more sanguine about it or less?

[John Fetterman]

Oh, no, much less sanguine. They think that the transition is going to be. To be far faster, far more disruptive.

[Bill Maher]

But some of them. But some of them are for it and some are, again, it.

[John Fetterman]

They're all in it and they're running so fast because they were like, well, if it's going to happen anyway, might as well be me that's got my hand on the Till right.

[Ian Bremmer]

And the conservative people say, like, well, it's, oh, it's only going to be 2035 or something like that. Like 2035. I mean, it doesn't really matter in the end whether it's going to take five or 10 years. What matters is that it is probably going to happen and the consequences are going to be mad and this administration.

[John Fetterman]

Is probably going to have to figure it out, frankly.

[Bill Maher]

Last issue. The parade is tomorrow. Trump's parade.

[John Fetterman]

That's why he's here, by the way. I don't know if he told me.

[Ian Bremmer]

That'S what he came for.

[Bill Maher]

He came for the parade. Trump said, we're going to celebrate our country for a change. Like so many things with him. Like, he very often has an idea, which in the ether, it's not a bad idea. I've said for years, done many editorials about it. The left does not appreciate America well enough. They have no perspective about it. They think we're irredeemably racist and horrible and colonialist, as if every other country in the world at one time or another wasn't like us or even worse. So they.

[John Fetterman]

So, Bill, let's learn from the French.

[Bill Maher]

No. Why? What do you mean?

[John Fetterman]

That's where Trump got the parade idea from. When he went over and Macron showed him. He's like, ah, let's do something the French do. No, but we don't need to learn from the French.

[Bill Maher]

Bad idea as always. But he like, should we appreciate America more and in more perspective? Yes, but not tanks in the streets. This really worries me. I mean, I just feel like you're getting. I don't even know if that's his grand scheme thought out that much, but you're getting people used to a sight that we have never seen in this country before. And there are Republicans who speak out against this, too. Senator John Kennedy did. Ran. Powell did. And yeah, they're pretty forceful. So it's one reason why you should talk to Republicans. They're not all beyond hope. So what do you think? Am I making too much of this or is it just a parade?

[Ian Bremmer]

Well, it's like what we talked about. On the one hand, it's almost a bit funny, but, yeah, it's a really bad precedent that you don't want to see in, you know, one of the oldest democracies in the world.

[Bill Maher]

It's insecure.

[John Fetterman]

I wouldn't have minded it after 9 11, when we were trying to bring the country together. Right now, at best, it's going to be forgotten in a week. And at Worst it's going to be yet another thing that divides us. We're not going to agree on it. So we need leaders, not winners. Trump is a winner. It creates losers. We need leaders.

[Bill Maher]

All right, thank you, guys. Got to end it there. Time for new rules. Okay. All right. New rule. Yes, it was sad this week that ICE agents were rounding up migrants picking fruit in Fresno. But foreign invaders can't just waltz into this country and steal the American dream. The American dream of backbreaking manual labor in Fresno, where it's going to be 102 next week. So, hey, American dream, who just got a marketing degree from Penn State. Good news. There's opening now in the exciting field of fieldwork. Fieldwork where quiet quitting means passing out from heat stroke. New rule for our friends in other parts of the country, when the shit goes down in la, if you send us a text that says, hey, you doing okay out there? Then we get to send you a text that says, no, not good. How soon can you be here to help? Yeah, I didn't think so. New rule is, if you are shocked to learn about Umaya Nelson, the California model currently serving life in prison after she killed, castrated, cooked and ate her husband, you must understand you're not alone. Trust me, when I read about her, I had the exact same reaction. A model ate something. Neural Ozempic doesn't make your dick bigger. That's what was reported in the news this week. That along with weight loss, addiction control, and reducing diabetes, Ozempic also makes your dick bigger. It doesn't. It's an optical illusion. It's. It's just. It's just that everything else is smaller. So your dick seems bigger or you were so fat you just hadn't seen it in a long time. I don't know. New rule. Now that nine women have come forward to say Jared Leto was creepy to them, it's time to admit, actually, it's always the guy you'd most suspect. As long as we're 100% sure it wasn't Russell Brand. And finally, new rule. Everyone has to stop being mad at Elon Musk long enough to consider his latest idea. Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle? That's what he tweeted last week. And it's a great question and a great goal to shoot for. Problem is, if the recent past is any indication, Elon is, like, the worst guy to do it, because he doesn't take anything to the middle. He takes it to Mars. Now, I still believe in Elon because he's an engineering genius who figured out how to do more vital life shaping things than anyone since Edison. And this is a resource I don't think we have the luxury of discarding, especially now that we're living in the future. But as a guy to lead us to 80% land. No. We had a pilot program for this. It was called Elon Buys Twitter, which he pledged to bring back from the far left to the middle. But that's not what happened. Elon, when you took over Twitter, I was right there with you. It had become an awful place. Nothing more than a hunting ground for left wing scolds to find something to cancel people for. As I used to say, the problem with Twitter is anything I want to say on Twitter, I can't say on Twitter. So I loved it when you said it would become politically neutral and tweeted. I hope even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that's what free speech means. Well, they didn't remain long. You gave Don Lemon a show and he asked you one tough question and you shit canned him faster than Kristi Noem took down Alex Padilla. You just switched it from a place conservatives felt supremely unwelcome to the reverse. And that. That's not what it looks like to appeal to 80%. Neither was Doge. Did we all think that there was some bloat in government? Yeah, sure, but you acted like a doctor who always wants to pull the plug and harvest the organs while the rest of us are going. I just came in for a bikini wax. That wasn't big dick energy. That was being dick energy. And until usaid, you had a pretty great scorecard for saving, not taking lives and making life better. You made electric cars a commercial reality. Giving Starlink satellite service for free to Ukraine is what allowed them to survive against Russia. Neuralink is soon going to allow a paralyzed person to walk. SpaceX lands reusable rockets upright, which is so much better than the old method crashing. Even PayPal is kind of a wonder of modern life, making it possible for millions of Americans to sell their broken lawnmower on ebay. And you got the biggest one of all, right before anybody recognizing AI as an existential threat. Although I have to say, it did a pretty good job at writing the words I'm saying right now. I mean, without you, these two poor bastards would still be up in space. It's an incredible record. But government work? It's Chinatown. Jake. It's. It's not for people like you. Was it worth a try? Sure. Kind of like when Michael Jordan tried to play baseball. But, Elon, did you really think you were going to fit in in Washington with that carnival of crayon eaters? Congresspeople? This is the job for people who are the opposite of exceptional. It's corporate shills wearing flag pins. It's ex wrestling coaches, CrossFit trainers, restaurant owners, football coaches, reality show rejects, bartenders, beauty queens, steak salesmen. Dude, they literally shoot things in their campaign ads. That's not you. That's not you. And neither was this. I get it. You were hurt in your previous relationship with the left, so you threw yourself into a bad rebound. We've all been there, man. I just want you to look at everything you developed before Trump. The electric cars, the reusable rockets, the brain chips. And then look what you developed after Trump. A drug habit. And now I see you're thinking of crawling back. Don't do it. Don't do it. It's a terrible idea. He's not good for you. And we need our boy genius to be more stable. Come on, you're older now. Pretty soon you might even start having kids. Oh, yeah. You know what? You know what? The kid thing. Fuck the critics on that one. Knock yourself out. I mean, it's always funny when Nick Cannon does it. All right, thank you. I want to thank my guests Rutger Bregman, Ian Bremmer and Senator John Fetterman. Club Random drops every Sunday soon to Monday on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast. Now go watch Overtime on YouTube. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Catch all new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher every Friday night at 10 or watch him anytime on HBO on Demand.

[John Fetterman]

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