Loading summary
Transcript199 lines
- [00:00]
A
This podcast is sponsored by Chase Sapphire.
- [00:02]
B
Reserved for business Businesses build big worlds.
- [00:05]
A
I'm Angus. My design studio created the Game of Thrones main title. We wanted it to feel like it was handmade, like it was a physical object. The whole process was a series of questions and solutions. The aha moment was to turn the globe inside out. This thing starts to emerge. That's just incredible. We put everything we had into it and it's given so much back to us.
- [00:24]
C
For business world builders everywhere.
- [00:26]
A
The business card that gives back all you put in. Chase Sapphire reserved for business cards issued by JPMorgan Chase bank and AM FDIC subject credit approval terms apply. The world moves fast. Your workday even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly write, analyze, create and summarize so you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more@Microsoft.com M365 copilot Welcome to an.
- [01:06]
B
HBO podcast from the HBO late night.
- [01:09]
C
Series Real Time with Bill Maher.
- [01:47]
A
Welcome back. How are you? Thank you. Thank you very much. I appreciate you always coming back. I miss. I missed you too. Including the guy who yells woo. I missed all of you. We have been off since Thanksgiving and nothing much has happened. He said sarcastically. Yes, I mean got a little dicey around Christmas but we defeated Venezuela and we are free now. So that. Oh also Iran. I know this is big here in la, big Iranian population here, protests ever there. And you know they think this might succeed this time, overthrow that awful theocracy. Because Trump has promised to help Iran is dealing with the protesters by killing him in the streets. And Trump said we are watching mostly for pointers. Now. These images out of Minneapolis are just fucking ugly, are they not? I mean, wow. Including this. Did you see this one? The five year old boy who was just taken out of going to school. But you know, if you looked at his penmanship, you can see he is the worst of the worst. And apparently Minneapolis, only the beginning. You know where they're going into next? Ice, Maine. That hotbed of crime. Maine. This is Trump's shit list. Greenland, Maine and Minnesota. The axis of hot chocolate. Green. That was the other big story. Greenland I thought he forgot about. Remember at the beginning of the term it was Greenland. And then it was like okay, you know, sometimes the brain farts pass. But this week, the past week, it was all we're going to take It. By force. By force. Pete Hegseth got so excited, he droned a dog sled. Okay? But then three days ago, Trump goes to Davos, Switzerland. You know, this is where the people who run the world have the big meeting every year, and he gives this big speech. He kept saying Iceland when he meant Greenland. He kept confusing Greenland, which is so awkward when you're fucking one country and you yell out the name of another. But.
- [04:34]
D
But.
- [04:39]
A
Miracle of miracles, he said in the speech, no, actually, we don't want to use force now. Okay, great. And not even the tariffs. He threatened that. No, all unneeded. Because we are declaring victory for a problem that wasn't there until he made it. So it's. It's like. It's a little like. A little like when the dog throws up on the rug and then he eats it. You know, it took care of itself. I always let him do it, by the way. I was like, you know what? I could get up. But just. Yeah, but this new Greenland deal, he just says we have a framework. It's just a framework. Just really a concept. No details, nothing written down. It's modeled after the health care plant. And, yeah, we get. We get bases there in Greenland. We get to build new ones. We get to do mining. We get to keep Russia out. All of which we had anyway, but now everybody hates us. What Fox News calls the art of the deal. But here's something. Here's something exciting at Davos. President Trump, President, I've got an idea. I call him. He announced something very exciting. A new Board of Peace. The Board of Peace. Here's what we know about it. Step one, give him a billion dollars. I'm not making that up. That is step one. Watch. You gotta know everything about it. That's it. Okay, what are you nosy? And here's none of our traditional allies are getting on board with the Board of Peace, including Canada, The Prime Minister there. Whoo. He got Trump mad. He made a speech and he said, you know, with America, we're not in a transition here. This is a full on rupture. And then Trump got up and he said, you know what, Mark? Canada lives because of the U.S. wow. And then Katy Perry said, screw you both. I'm still fucking Justin Trudeau. Okay, we got a great show. We have Senator John Kennedy and Casey Hunt. But first up, he is a retired U.S. army major general who's now senior advisor for Vote Vets and the Vet Voice Foundation. General Paul Eaton is here. General, how are you, sir? Great to see you again. It's been too long.
- [07:23]
B
I know.
- [07:25]
A
Okay. Thank you, sir. Appreciate you being here. These are very serious times, so we needed a very serious person. But Kysonat was busy. We got you. But just tell us your background. I mean, I call you General. I know you probably like to be called Paul, but you deserve that. And when I say thank you for your service, that is completely sincere, Peter, but you've been everywhere. I mean, you were a NATO soldier.
- [07:57]
D
So in the beginning.
- [07:58]
A
Oh, going that far back? Yeah.
- [08:02]
D
No. I grew up in the United States Air Force in a fighter pilot's house, and that's a special place to grow up. And I married a Marine's daughter. My dad was killed flying a B57 over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and I went to West Point and then I became an infantryman. And those are the highlights. But those are the things that have a obvious impact on outlooks.
- [08:32]
A
I mean, obviously you're here because the military is in your blood and now the military is in the streets. This is what I want to ask you about. First and foremost. Trump says he's sending the Pentagon, is sending 1500 troops to Minneapolis. You know, in your career, I'm guessing this idea of the military involved in civilian life was just always a non issue. It's just something we never did. Am I wrong about that?
- [09:01]
D
You are correct. Except when there is a drama in a state and the governor asks for help from the Pentagon. From the Pentagon.
- [09:14]
A
That happened from the Pentagon.
- [09:16]
D
So I went to Homestead, Florida, as a lieutenant colonel, as the operations officer for army forces. And because the army has excess capacity, we helped Florida recover from Hurricane Andrew.
- [09:35]
A
Okay.
- [09:36]
D
We fought fires in Wyoming, at. In the park system, in Wyoming, in Yellowstone National Park. So when our governors have a dilemma and it is out of their control, they're done raiding their own resources, they can act to go to Uncle Sam and ask for a little help.
- [10:05]
A
Yeah, but hurricanes and fires, this is different than fighting the people. You know, I mean, this is slightly different about this. I feel like the mentality of the military and the police, even though there is a lot of crossover, I mean, a lot of guys get out of the military and then they join law enforcement. But I feel like they are somewhat fundamentally different. I mean, when I think about somebody joining the army or one of the branches after 9, 11, I think that's a supreme act of patriotism. I think about people joining the police. Not that there aren't many. Many and probably most. We don't know the numbers. Good police. But it's also when you give people a badge, it's sort of an invitation to be a bully. It's sort of like, okay, here's your license to be an asshole, if you want. It looks like fundamentally they made the mistake here with the ICE people of getting a lot of people there who just are there for the wrong reasons and just want to fuck with people. Is that your reading of it?
- [11:10]
D
May I tell a short story?
- [11:11]
A
Tell a long story.
- [11:15]
D
You're the boss. Yeah, well, so in Iraq. We're there in Iraq. It was a terrible decision going to Iraq, but we're there. And the 82nd Airborne Division has a reputation for being the macho, powerful first in the fight division, justified. But we had a situation develop in a small town outside of Fallujah. And I can't remember why the Iraqis were incensed, but they were.
- [11:50]
A
Because you're in their country, probably that has a bearing.
- [11:55]
D
And so we have a battalion commander, a rifle battalion commander, surrounded by young men in uniform in battle dress with their rifles and a load of ammunition. And the Iraqis are very upset. A whole lot of riot potential. They're moving on the American forces. The battalion commander directed that the men take a knee, put the barrel of their rifles in the dirt, and smile. They thought he was crazy, but in that stroke, defused the situation, de escalated the problem, and the Iraqis went, well, all right, and nobody got hurt. That's the quality of the men and women that we see going into the armed forces today who know how to tune themselves to the event, but going into the streets of America, they didn't sign up for that.
- [13:04]
A
No. And people didn't vote for it. I mean, I was talking about this almost a year ago when Trump started to first send troops into Washington, D.C. my view was that this is dangerous just to have the military on the ground. Not that I would ever suspect him of trying to steal an election, but if you do, it's kind of handy to have those troops in place in American cities.
- [13:37]
D
It's intimidating. My wife and I are. We spend a fair amount of time in Washington, D.C. and we see these young men and women, they're in groups of four. They're carrying a sidearm, they're wearing a soft cap, no visible body armor. And my wife raised three soldiers, and she talks to them like they're her sons, her daughter. And how are you doing? Why are you here? Just the normal questions a mom who is also a veteran would ask. Young men and women doing something that they didn't sign up for but are doing because they're directed to do it. And the two who are one killed, one hurt terribly. God bless those two. And it is a direct result of going out there.
- [14:45]
A
That brings me to the other question that was a big issue while we were off. Can soldiers refuse an order to go into battle? Now there's two senators. Mark Kelly is one of them. I forget the other one, who Trump is going after because they have told the soldiers, this is after we fired on votes outside of Venezuela that it is not your duty to follow a order that is unconstitutional. To me, this is a bit of a slippery slope. I may not have been for those firings, but when you start to tell troops, kids that they have it in their power not to obey orders, I don't know what happens to your military. What is your view on that?
- [15:31]
D
We are in the greatest civil military relations crisis our country has had. And it starts as an attack down from our civilian leadership. In the past we've had problems, MacArthur and Fallon and McChrystal, which was a bottom up attack on civilization, leadership on our civilian leadership. But this is coming from Project 2025 and it's directed down. And the whole point of I will not go there. I didn't sign up for this. I had a soldier make that decision back when I had to chop a unit change of operational control to a finish. Brigadier general before they were in NATO. He refused to wear the blue helmet conservative family in Texas. And we laid it all out for him and he got in trouble because he would not wear it. He said, I'll go. I'll be the best medic you ever want, but I can't do that. I had an Iraqi battalion refuse to serve in Fallujah as the outer ring, unlikely to have any contact because we recruited our Iraqi soldiers and we told them, you will not have to fight your fellow Iraqi. You are here for fighting enemies from without. Greenland and I had a. I served on a panel three days ago with 40 Democratic caucus congressmen and I made the comment and if Mr. Trump chooses to put forces into Greenland, you will have soldiers who say, I didn't sign up for this. It's going to happen and it will be a terrible event for the armed forces of the United States.
- [17:35]
A
Well, luckily that's off the table. Now he says we're not doing it. We have come to an agreement. We will not send troops, but Greenland is going to redecorate all gold. All right, sir. I thank you so much for making time for us. Your expertise is very valuable. Your service is most appreciated. General Eaton Ladies and gentlemen. All right, let's meet our panel. Hey you guys, how you doing? Ok. Ok. She's the anchor of cnn's the with casey hunt. Casey hunt, of course. He is a Republican senator from Louisiana and a very funny one. Author of the number one best selling book how to test negative for stupid and whine. Washington never will. John Kennedy. Your book is very funny. Very funny. All right, so I have a suggestion for the people in Minneapolis. How about this? It's so cold in this country, this storm that happened. How about it's too cold to fight and use that as an excuse, face saving excuse for everybody just to go home ice. You made your point. You made your point. Okay, we got into something with too many illegals. Yes, that happened under Biden. But these images, like I said, really ugly. I mean when I think of some of these things that we've seen. Oh, there's some of them. You know, the guy out in his underwear, no clothes on in the cold, the kid, this pepper spray in the face, the lady disabled lady being pulled out of her car. John, I'm just going to say to you, I'm not trying to pick a fight right away, but my prediction is this stuff, your party is going to get the dog shit kicked out of you in the midterms. No, no, come on. Because this is not what people voted for. And they're going to hold the party as the responsible as they should.
- [19:30]
B
Well, let me give you my take on it, Bill. You don't have to be Einstein's cousin or a senior at Caltech to know that illegal immigration is illegal. Duh. Those of us who believe that no one is above the law have to concede that folks who are in our country illegally are not above the law either. I support enforcing our immigration laws. Now how you enforce them matters.
- [20:05]
A
That's the key.
- [20:06]
B
You have to do it. You have to do it in accordance with due process, equal protection and Terry v. Ohio. Reasonable suspicion it's okay to protest. It's not okay to protest violently. Violence undermines the morality that you say your movement is built upon.
- [20:27]
A
But that five year old was not being violent. I understand, you know.
- [20:33]
B
But protesting violently is not only, not only undermines your movement, it's a 12 piece bucket, somebody get hurt.
- [20:44]
A
But is anybody, is anybody defending you cover this? Is anybody defending the people who are throwing things at the ICE agents? I don't think so, no.
- [20:54]
C
And I think if you listen to the president and the vice president just in the last couple of days you can hear that they can Read the polls, right? They are seeing that Americans are not behind these tactics. And suddenly you have the president talking about how what happened to Renee Goode was a tragedy. And he also talked about how her family were Trump supporters. But J.D. vance went to Minneapolis. A lot of his critics thought that that was provocative by itself. But he went there and he actually did say mistakes were made. The administration was not saying that in the beginning. And I think it underscores that they know that people are seeing these pictures and they are not thinking, this is what I voted for. They voted to secure the border.
- [21:37]
B
Well, I can only. I can read a poll, and the polls tell me that the president's enforcement efforts are polling right up there with toenail fungus. I get it.
- [21:51]
A
But he's right.
- [21:52]
B
But the question is, is it going to change? And you know the president. I can't tell you it's going to change. That's why God made elections. But I know this Donald Trump, like it or not, he's unrelenting. He's. He's like that. He's like that one, one light in your hotel room that you can't turn off no matter how many buttons you push. I'm not gonna tell you he's gonna back up. But you know what? That's why God made election.
- [22:21]
C
But here's the thing. Why, if that's true, do people say taco about President Trump? Trump always chickens out. He just changed on Greenland. What's keeping him from changing on this? Because he's seeing the poll.
- [22:34]
B
Well, I don't know. I have no inside information.
- [22:36]
A
Well, he could, but.
- [22:37]
B
He could. But I wouldn't faint with surprise, Casey, if he didn't.
- [22:43]
A
Okay. But it is actually a good opportunity for him because he is that kind of guy. That is one of his strengths, I think, is that it is a cult. I'm sorry, but MAGA is a bit of a cult and cult.
- [22:58]
B
And.
- [22:59]
A
And when it is, I mean, so is Taylor Swift, but okay, I'm in that cult leader and you're in it.
- [23:06]
B
Okay?
- [23:07]
A
And a cult leader can change on a dime, as he often does. So he could be the one. Because he has been so awful on this issue with, I mean, that woman. That was an execution in the street. I'm sorry, but it was. When I saw it, you know, what I thought of, because we're old enough to remember this. I mean, show the picture. Okay, that's it. Now, I'm going to describe this first, because this is from the 60s. Remember Vietnam, the Tet offensive, and that ugly picture that we saw after show the picture. This is. Everybody our age knows this. That's the first thing that flashed in my mind. Just, okay, so, okay, he made his point. He's the tough guy. It gives him the opportunity now to be the guy who says, okay, I'm actually going to do comprehensive immigration reform. Because this has been on the. How long you been in the Senate?
- [24:01]
B
10 years. Okay.
- [24:03]
A
This has been on the table in dog years.
- [24:04]
B
It's about 70.
- [24:08]
A
And before Obama tried with a grand bargain. But why can't. Why couldn't Trump be the one to get this done? You talked to him. I bet you you could put that back be in his bonnet.
- [24:18]
B
Well, you know what the real answer is? The real answer is immigration reform. That's the real answer.
- [24:24]
A
Well, we did that. We closed the border.
- [24:26]
B
No, no, no. I'm talking about not only for illegal immigration, but also for legal immigration. And the truth is, Bill, if you're honest, and you are, we admit more people into America legally every year than anyone in the world because the whole world wants to come here.
- [24:44]
A
Yeah.
- [24:45]
B
When's the last time you heard of somebody trying to sneak into China? I mean, they want to come to America and we do. But we could do that better if my Democratic friends would sit down and talk with us. But when we sit down and talk, the first thing they want, amnesty. Amnesty. Amnesty. And that dog's not going to hunt right now.
- [25:07]
A
Okay, but couldn't there be some sort of agreement on that? Because what people are saying, even people from your own party, is that, yes, we wanted to get rid of the criminals. We all were for that. And there are some.
- [25:17]
B
It's not like they have about 47%.
- [25:19]
A
47%, yep.
- [25:21]
B
I saw numbers this morning about 47%.
- [25:24]
A
Sounds bullshitty to me, but maybe. I mean, I don't know. No, no, that seems high. It seems high. I mean, Obama. Can we go just back to his policy? He was a badass. Was he not on this calendar?
- [25:39]
B
Well, let's not get carried away.
- [25:40]
A
He was. He was.
- [25:44]
C
Democrats were very unhappy with the rate of deportation under President Obama. It's actually absolutely true.
- [25:49]
A
And a lot of the people he deported did not have criminal records. I mean, he did it, too. He just did it without this ugliness.
- [25:57]
B
Yeah.
- [25:57]
A
Okay. So it could be done. Okay, let me ask. Let's get off this for a second. Trump said, I think if he would just stop voicing his interior monologue, we'd all breathe a lot easier.
- [26:10]
C
He's been doing it for a decade.
- [26:11]
A
I know, but it Just like, I think sometimes it's great we actually know what he's thinking. And then it's too much. He said, God is proud of the job I've done. Talking about the end of his first year. What parts? Because I just want to. I said this to you backstage.
- [26:31]
B
You want to take that one, Casey, you can have that one.
- [26:34]
A
I do not have Trump derangement syndrome. I know he's going to yell at me. He does it privately now, but I will get yelled at for this. Trump derangement. You're with the left lunatics. Okay. All that. No, no, no. I don't judge everything just by Trump. Must be awful.
- [26:48]
B
I'm sure.
- [26:48]
A
Okay. There's some things he said even while we were off. He did an animal rights thing that all my PETA friends loved. He came out, pot is not a Schedule 1 anymore. Thank you. You know, I mean, it's not like he came out and said, the Nick Fuentes wing of the party, we're not with you. We don't want you. So. And Venezuela. Do I love everything about it?
- [27:10]
B
No.
- [27:11]
A
But do I hate it? No. Do I hate it when we get rid of a merciless dictator who made a quarter of his country flee and is inviting China and Russia and Iran into the country? Do I. Do I? Should Exxon get the oil? Maybe not, but better than that asshole. So I don't have Trump derangement syndrome.
- [27:32]
B
I know, but. But you're to some extent, Bill, you're yelling at the wind. Trump is just like you are who you are. I've known President Trump for 10 years. He, like him or not, he exists loudly. He grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought. It's all unfiltered. Now, some people like that and some people don't. I would think the media would love that. He talks to the media more than any president I've ever seen.
- [28:02]
C
But the idea that President Trump is not deciding which version of himself we're going to see is absolutely wrong. I mean, if you know and you interact with President Trump in private. I have over the course. The first time I interviewed Donald Trump was back in 2013, when he was just thinking about running for president. And he has one setting when those cameras are on and one setting when those cameras are off.
- [28:25]
A
Right.
- [28:25]
C
And if he wanted to make a different decision about how to conduct himself in public, he is absolutely capable of. He's not going to, but he's not going to. That is also correct.
- [28:33]
B
And. And you can.
- [28:34]
C
You can.
- [28:35]
B
You can. Can criticize it. This is America. You can say what you want. Now, you know, he's not going to like it. You might, you might end up with a sombrero on your head. But, but, but he is, but he is what he is.
- [28:53]
A
Okay, but what? So many.
- [28:55]
B
And the people will act. And you know what? We're going to have midterms. And that's why God made a faction.
- [29:00]
A
No, but even before then. We have a government now and you're in it and you're in his party. And what people are saying these days is like, when is enough enough to stand up to him? You know, that kind of thing. I mean, here's a question I would like to ask the people in your party.
- [29:15]
B
Sure.
- [29:15]
A
Iran. I mentioned it in the monologue. This is kind of a big thing. And I thought, you know, we've seen these demonstrations in Iran before, but this was bigger and more people have died. But I think maybe more people have died because he said he was going to help. This looks like a Bay of Pigs to me. This looks like America's going to come and help you. Where is it? Remember the Kurds in 91 when they thought they were going to get help from America? Vietnam could make the same claim. I mean, a lot of people have felt let down by us. I thought Trump was different. Where are you on this? Because all these bodies that I see, these body bags in Iran, I think a lot of those people went in the streets because they thought, oh, he said, he's got our back this time, where's the help?
- [30:00]
B
Well, the generals have told us that short of sending in a massive number of troops, it will be another Iraq.
- [30:10]
A
Well then what did he mean when.
- [30:11]
B
He said, I don't know. But if you look at it from a larger, if you look at it from a larger perspective, because of Israel, this is one person's opinion. Because of Israel and President Trump's backing of Israel, the Middle east is safer than it has been in 20 years.
- [30:31]
A
Absolutely.
- [30:31]
B
Hamas. Hamas is on its knees, has bop lies on its knees.
- [30:36]
A
I gave him credit for that.
- [30:37]
B
No longer looks invincible. And you know, and you know who is applauding us every step of the way. Not out loud, but the Arab countries, look, if every one of them.
- [30:47]
D
This is pro linebacker TJ Watt. And I'm back with YPB by Abercrombie for another activewear drop.
- [30:52]
A
My second co Design collection has new.
- [30:54]
D
Shorts and tanks that keep up with all my in season workouts. And their new Restore collection is a game changer off the field too, because.
- [31:02]
A
Even pro Athletes like me need rest days.
- [31:04]
D
Shop YPB by Abercrombie in the app, online and in stores because your personal best is greater than anything. New year.
- [31:18]
B
Same extra value meals at McDonald's.
- [31:21]
A
So now get two snack wraps plus fries and a medium soft drink for just $8 for a limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California.
- [31:31]
D
And for delivery, Kraft Mac and Cheese.
- [31:34]
A
Is better than 90s hip hop. We'll remind you of your childhood without making you feel incredibly old. Kraft Mac and Cheese.
- [31:42]
D
Best thing ever.
- [31:47]
A
If Venezuela causes Cuba to fall, if he somehow gets Venezuela, Cuba and Iran all to be not these horrible places they were, he should get a Nobel Peace Prize. But.
- [32:03]
C
The smartest people that are coming through that I talking to usually in commercial breaks will say, this is the closest this Iranian regime has ever been to falling. A big American concern is that over involvement on our part could help the support among the people with the regime. Right. These Iranian people might not actually want America to make a big show. They want to be standing on their own. But then there is this question of the Israelis and are the Israelis interested in seeing us go in or not? And right now it seems to be that they have. And correct me if I'm wrong, Senator, I'm sure you've been in these briefings. They want to push pause a little bit.
- [32:42]
A
Yes or no?
- [32:43]
B
Casey was right.
- [32:45]
A
Yes or no? What's your gut? Will this regime fall from this?
- [32:50]
C
My gut is it's going to take a little bit longer than what we are seeing right now that it's not going to be precipitous. But I also think President Trump has been relatively unpredictable. If he starts to talk about potentially doing something like this. I think we've all learned, you know, we got a lesson in it in the first Trump term.
- [33:08]
B
Right.
- [33:09]
C
And I think some people forgot in the second Trump term that, you know, we really should. When he says he's going to do something, actually listen. And now he's emboldened.
- [33:16]
A
Why couldn't he have just droned the Ayatollah's ass or something? You know, I mean, it seems, seems like that's.
- [33:22]
B
If you want Iran to fall, here's what you do. You cut off their cash flow, you double down on the sanctions. We're still letting them sell oil to China. And this would be dangerous. You embargo their tankers, you embark, just like we're doing in Venezuela.
- [33:39]
A
Why don't we do it now?
- [33:41]
B
Now, now. You better be prepared to suffer the or Accept the consequences. If you pray for rain, you got to be prepared to deal with the mud. We don't know what China will do because China buys a lot of that oil.
- [33:54]
A
Yeah, not a problem. So his polls look like they're pretty down. I think he's suing the New York Times for reporting that. Interesting. But I don't go by the polls. Polls can be right, polls can be wrong. Polls can change. You know what I go by? There is a Trump store in Pennsylvania where they sell go MAGA merchandise. No, they do. They sell MAGA merchandise. And this was doing gangbusters business. It's going out of business now. Okay, this to me is very indicative. They. Okay, they sold things like 20, 28 Trump hats. You get it? 20, 20 Trump beef jerky clocks, flags. So their loss is your gain because going at a business sale, everything's got to go. We thought we'd show you some of the items you could pick up for a song. Ladies and gentlemen, for very prices. For example, you could get the JD Van's. These colors don't run America. First eyeliner for only 2.99. That is a deal. You can get the Pete Hegseth. It's 17 hours somewhere. Wine glasses for 5.99. Very reasonable. This MAGA baby bib. That's my diaper. Looks like Biden's presidency. $6. Oh, the don't tread on me, but definitely tread on people who aren't me. Flag. The Chuck Schumer really burns my ass. Hot sauce $3.99. Come on. Oh, Christie gnome bar Barbie action figure with dead dog figurine is 3.99. These are deals. The if global warming is real, why is there snow globe $10. And best of all, the non gay skittles only red, white and blue. 99 cents.
- [36:05]
B
All right, well you, you. You're definitely getting a sombrero. Okay. You're going to have a sombrero on your head.
- [36:16]
A
Please. You make me more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
- [36:24]
B
Nervous?
- [36:25]
A
I thought I'd try to do one again.
- [36:27]
B
My dad used to say, nervous as a pregnant nun.
- [36:29]
A
Yeah. So. Okay, so before we run out of time here in the second half of the show, let's talk about retribution. Because I know that when you voted for, and I think you did, Bondi for Attorney General and Cash Patel for the FBI. I feel like you thought you got promises that they would not indulge in retribution. Political retribution. Do you think they kept your word so far? Their word to you so Far, really, they're not involving themselves in retribution.
- [37:00]
B
Yeah, well, here's what. Here's what I said. Look, there are those on both the right and the left who think it is acceptable to believe that two wrongs don't make it right, but they do make it even. And there are folks on both sides who think it's okay to prosecute a political opponent just because he's a political opponent. And I talked to them about that to equal degree, and I told them that this is not America. This is the sort of thing that happens in countries whose powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat. That's not America. Now, what has happened so far? There have been three prosecutions. Two of them the courts have thrown out James and Comey. We never saw any of the evidence. So I can't tell you whether they're legitimate. The third one is Bolton, and I just don't know enough about the allegations from Mr. Bolton. I do know Mr. Bolton is one of the smartest people on the planet. If you don't believe me, ask him. But I can't. But other than that, there have been some investigations. I pushed back on the Powell investigation very vociferously.
- [38:20]
A
Okay, this is. We're talking about Jerome Powell, the head of the Fed, who. Okay, so you're making the case that both sides do it equally. Trump is going after him for redecorating. See, yes, he's. Am I wrong about that?
- [38:35]
C
You are not wrong for spending too.
- [38:37]
A
Much money, apparently, like he's his wife. He spent too much. Okay, Redecorating. They had a new office. Tell me if I'm wrong. They have a new office building. The Fed. Okay, now see, this is what I call a bar fight. In a bar fight, you pick up anything. That's Trump. He picks up anything. You know you got the mortgage form wrong. That's the other one he's going after. Before filling out the mortgage form for checking the wrong box, which everybody does, including lots of Republicans. So you can't quite make the case, can you, that it's equal.
- [39:14]
B
I can see. But. But step back a second.
- [39:17]
A
Concede.
- [39:18]
B
I concede those points, okay? But it's undeniable. It's undeniable that President Biden started this. What did he do? He not only prosecuted a former president, he prosecuted a former president who was his former opponent. He prosecuted a former president who was his former opponent and his current opponent.
- [39:39]
C
But don't you argue. And you.
- [39:40]
B
And that unleashed spirits that he could not control. Is anyone surprised that Trump punches back. I'm not saying it's right, but.
- [39:50]
A
Kc, please.
- [39:51]
C
I was just gonna say, you write in your book that two wrongs don't make a right, but they do make it even, and you take them to task for it.
- [39:57]
B
I do. Right.
- [39:58]
C
And, I mean, the facts you leave out around Comey and Letitia James are that the Justice Department couldn't find a career person in that office who looked at that evidence and thought, I'm gonna bring a case. They had to fire that person, put in someone else. Then it turns out that person actually is illegally appointed. And now Pam Bondi is trying to figure out a way, you know, putting out statements defending her. So are they not doing exactly what you warned them not to do when you questioned them in that area?
- [40:27]
B
Those are fair points, but the only prosecution that see is Dr. Bolton, and I don't know enough about Democrats will.
- [40:40]
C
Admit as well that the Bolton I.
- [40:41]
B
Don'T know enough to know it's found the investigation of Jerome Powell I have posed vociferously because when you prosecute someone, you not only have to have a federal crime and be able to prove it's beyond reasonable doubt, you have to be able to show it's in the public interest.
- [40:59]
A
Okay, but let's get out of the periphery here and go right to the heart of it, because it's great. We agree we shouldn't be prosecuted for redecorating. I'll give you this on the table. Let me put this forward in a show of good faith. I don't think they should have prosecuted him over the.
- [41:18]
B
There's a button here somewhere.
- [41:23]
A
Yes. I don't think they should prosecute him over the hush money to the. To the porn star. Remember that one?
- [41:31]
B
Yeah, I do.
- [41:32]
A
Okay. We could have let that one go. I mean, I'm sure you could make the case, blah, blah, blah.
- [41:36]
B
She wasn't worth it, by the way. Just one person's opinion.
- [41:45]
A
Eskimo cousins, Are you okay? But the big one is the one now, Jack Smith, he's the one who was prostrate prosecuting Trump for crimes of trying to steal the 2020 election. Okay? That's the real one. And I get your point that we don't want to go into this spiral of lawfare. That's what banana republics do. Nobody ever really wins an election. You win until the next people come along and say, well, you didn't. And it wasn't fair and it wasn't right. Nobody ever believes the election. This is what made us so great for so long. We avoided all that bullshit. We had a peaceful transfer of power. So this only. Thank you, America. Looks beautiful. But this only works if the person in office doesn't actually commit crimes that are egregious. You see what I'm saying? Should I read to you the quote from Georgia where he says, I just want to find 11,700 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state? I only need 11,000 votes, fellas. I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break. This isn't worth looking into. This isn't something that you kind of have to take to court.
- [43:06]
B
I'm gonna say it again, and you may disagree, Bill, but when you have an able prosecutor, first of all a prosecutor, you need prosecutors who know. Who have prudential judgment and who know a law book and a rule book from a J. Crew catalog. And if they're fair, here's how. Here's the. Here's how they're going to proceed. They're going to prosecute a federal crime only if it's a federal crime, only if they can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, and only if it's in the public interest. If the prosecution, even though you don't have to agree with the conduct, but if the prosecution will undermine the fairness of the criminal justice system or the perceived fairness of it, you don't prosecute. And I'm just telling you President Biden, for the first time in this country's history, prosecuted a former president, a former opponent who was his current opponent. I understand he unleashed spirits he could not control.
- [44:10]
A
Well. But. But again, it was the first time we did that. It was also the first time that something prompted us to do that.
- [44:19]
B
No, no, wait a minute now. Wait a minute. They allege. I'm not defending the president or his conduct. You make your own joke. You make his. You make your own joke about it, but you can be worried. You can be worried about the president and not defend the conduct. But wait there. Imagine that President Trump defrauded the American people. Okay, well, what does that mean? How about. How about when President Obama said, if you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance? Is that fraud?
- [45:00]
A
Not quite on this. No. Come on.
- [45:02]
B
But is that fraud?
- [45:04]
A
It wasn't the best thing he ever said, and it turned out to be not completely true. It's well within the realm of political.
- [45:11]
B
How about the people around President Biden, okay, who hid studiously and successfully the fact that he had neurodegenerative disease? Should they be prosecuted?
- [45:22]
A
The 2020 election, did he win that one.
- [45:27]
B
Here'S what I see about it. The issue is not. The issue.
- [45:39]
A
Beautifully done.
- [45:40]
B
The issue is not whether the 2020 election was manipulated. Well, both sides. Both sides did everything they could. The issue is whether it made a difference. And the only way you can prove that it made a difference is to go in front of God, country and a federal judge and prove it. And that hasn't been proven. So the election was legal.
- [46:10]
A
What is he saying now?
- [46:14]
B
You want me to repeat?
- [46:15]
A
No, no, I want her to translate.
- [46:19]
C
So the senator and many others in.
- [46:26]
B
His party, Casey, you can call me an ignor if you want to.
- [46:31]
C
I am more polite than that. I was raised to be more polite than that.
- [46:34]
B
No cut rules.
- [46:35]
A
No, look, you're hardly ignorant.
- [46:37]
C
There are so many layers here, okay? He is in a difficult position when that question is asked because of President Trump and the way he commands loyalty from all of the Republicans in your party. I mean, let's be real about that.
- [46:49]
B
Right?
- [46:50]
C
But the reality is, when you were at the Capitol on January 6th. I was at the Capitol on January 6th. I looked out the window, I saw the mob. Right. I mean, the idea that, you know, the president and we were there for hours. Right. I mean, I got into journalism because I thought it was public service. Right. We're all in this democracy together. I wanted to play a little bit of a part in it. There are people attacking the building. We find out later they've carved, killed the media and other things. They're hunting Nancy Pelosi. They're yelling, hang Mike Pence. The president's at the White House, and for hours no one comes. Right? No one. Right. We found out later they were called, but then the president basically wouldn't let the call go through. It's a little more nuanced than that. But basic facts of the case, the idea that then we're not going to say, look around and say, hey, how do we hold people accountable for that? Is kind of where we are now. And I will say that in terms of lawfare and the way the system.
- [47:44]
B
Works, you think he should be prosecuted for that? I.
- [47:46]
C
Well, I mean, he was prosecute like he was about to be, and then.
- [47:49]
B
He won an election. But if you were a prosecutor, would you prosecute him for that?
- [47:53]
C
I'm not a prosecutor. I'm not a lawyer. I'm a journalist.
- [47:55]
A
Okay. I'm a TV host. And I have to say that's all the time we have for the final. Thank you very much. It's time for new rules.
- [48:03]
B
All right.
- [48:12]
A
Okay. New rule. If you Want to know why ice plays so rough? Follow the money. Who's getting rich? It's obviously the auto glass industry. Stop asking Trump about the proud boys. We need to look into his connection to the Pep Boys. New Rules since foldable phones are all the rage, Apple must go all in and make the next phone so flexible that Japanese kids can turn it into a swan. And by the way, if you're a young person who pays 1000 bucks for a new phone because it can bend in half, you must apologize to every old person you made fun of for still using one of these. New rule Emmanuel Macron has to come clean about wearing sunglasses everywhere this week at Davos. Just a minute, man. Your wife is beating you up again, isn't she? The folks who make Mountain Baos jeans must admit that there's no such thing as anti flat butt technology. If your butt is flat and then you put the jeans on and then it's round, that's not technology. That's padding. The idea that denim can take you from flat buns to badonkadonk is something they just pulled out of their ass. You were all please don't. Please don't make me feel sorry for Stephen Miller. The crew of the new Star Trek series features a cast of three lesbian performance artists, prompting Miller to retweet an X post calling it tragic. Unlike being a 40 year old man tweeting about Star Trek. Although I must admit, when I was a teenager dreaming about space lesbians, this wasn't what I had in mind. And finally, new rule. If you're still looking for a New Year's resolution, here's one. Get out of your media bubble. The most frustrating thing that happens to me whenever I'm off is people I run into want me to do my job, which I'm on vacation from. Privately, in restaurants and at parties. And, well, the bathhouse is a separate situation. But look, I'm happy to share my opinions wherever. Except for this. Everybody left and right is only half informed. So I'm constantly hearing no, I didn't hear that part. News feeds. They're like high priced fetish escorts. They understand their whole job is to give it to you just how you like it. So to my Republican friends, you know, this didn't have to happen. You know she wasn't trying to run the guy over. You know, I always do my part and admit when the left has gone off track. Yes, Biden let in too many immigrants, yes, there are criminals among them, blah blah blah. But you never reciprocate and say, okay, this is where we went too far. It's just my team. Fuck the truth. You're not intellectually honest, so stop asking me if I have the slightest interest in joining your side. I never did. You have no integrity. You went apeshit about the corruption of Hunter Biden, which in the liberal bubble didn't exist at all. Although, yes, of course, it really did. But on such a smaller scale than what Trump is doing. Was it ridiculous that Hunter Biden got a job helping the Ukrainians look for natural gas? Of course. Especially since he was looking for it in hookers. But the Trumps are so far and away more corrupt than that. Don Jr. Owns a nightclub in D.C. for Christ's sakes.
- [52:44]
B
Really?
- [52:44]
A
A private club called the Executive Branch where people pay a membership fee of half a million dollars because corruption now has valet park. Tuesday nights. Ladies bribe free. Scarface is there on Wednesdays. Look, in the old Watergate days, the refrain was follow the money. Well, now the money's in crypto, so you can't. Originally, Trump hated crypto, said it was a scam. And then he remembered, I love scams. Hunter Biden made a few million. The Trump family has made at least 2 billion since he was elected as America's 47th and final president. And that can't all be from gold sneakers. It's not. It's from shady people like crypto billionaire Justin sun, who was being investigated for fraud by the SEC. But then he bought $75 million in world liberty Financial and the case went away. What, you ask, is World Liberty Financial? Well, it's the Trump's private company, wink, wink, and it sells crypto, that is monopoly money to guys who wear tracksuits on yachts who buy it with real money, which gives them a friend in the Oval Office who can do them favors when they commit crimes and pardon them when they get caught. Trump isn't draining the swamp, he's bottling. Everyone these days. Says he wants to be a king. No, not a king. He's a prince from Nigeria. I see now why he doesn't want to leave office. The money's too good. Carolyn Levitt says neither the president nor his family have ever engaged or will ever engage in conflicts of interest. And then her tiny cross pendant burst into flame. The Trump sons even launched a crypto mining operation, which Trump may not want to discuss while the episode Epstein scandal is ongoing, as he's very sensitive about any connection to minors. But yes, by all means, Fox News. Please tell us more about the Biden crime family and Nothing about how Trump once promised to put his business assets in a blind trust. Actually, that's what you gave him. Blind trust. Speaking of which, Now let me tell you about the story that liberal algorithms locked out. Her name is Sia Weaver, and if you ask anyone in the blue sky bubble who that is, they'll look at you like a turkey looking up at the rain. But she's kind of a important in New York, being Major Mandani's chief of the office to protect tenants. And since Mandani's big issue is the rent's too damn high. Yes, he stole this guy's act. It's a very key appointment in the most important city in the country, which is also our financial center. It matters that the mayor stands by and so, I assume, stands with someone who says things like, if you don't believe in the government's sacred right to seize private property, it's over. Seize private property? Homeownership is racist. Elect more communists. Private property, especially home ownership, is a weapon of white supremacy. Really? Even among the 20 million black Americans who own their own home? I mean, these are the kind of utterances I might forgive as something a dumb white girl said while she was at Bryn Mawr, because it's the kind of privilege hating you can only learn for $95,000 a year. But these are statements made as an adult. Yes, for co eds from elite private colleges, you're only a lesbian until graduation. But the communism lasts a lifetime. Democrats seem to be having this debate whether or not Mayor Mamdani is a socialist or a democratic socialist. Let me settle it. He's a straight up communist. How do I know this? Well, I'm reading between the lines. When one of his major advisors says, elect more communists, Which is fine. It's fine. It's a belief system. He's allowed to believe it, and people are allowed to vote for it. But if liberals deny it, like he's just going through a goth phase, they're going to lose more elections. This is not a communist country. And this is the pendulum never lands in the middle problem I'm always bitching about. Really, the choices we get here are either the worst version of crony capitalism or communism. Either a side deal for the Trump family every time he does business overseas, or the lady who says, impoverish the white middle class. Oh, yeah, there's a great campaign slogan for you. Honestly, as New York may roll races go, I was less creeped out by Anthony Weiner's dick. All right, that's our show. I want to thank my guest Casey Hunt, Senator John Kennedy and Major General Paul Eaton. Club Random back on every Monday. It's great. It drops on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcast now go watch Overtime on YouTube. Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. Great to be back. Catch all new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher every Friday night at.
- [59:44]
C
10 or watch him anytime on HBO on Demand. For more information, log on to hbo.com.
- [59:51]
A
Well, the holidays have come and gone once again, but if you've forgotten to.
- [59:55]
D
Get that special someone in your life.
- [59:56]
A
A gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now. You call it an early present for next year.
- [60:06]
B
What do you have to lose?
- [60:07]
A
Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch limited time.
- [60:11]
B
50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for.
- [60:16]
A
12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy.
- [60:20]
B
See Terms Starting a business can seem.
- [60:23]
C
Like a daunting task unless you have.
- [60:25]
A
A partner like Shopify.
- [60:27]
C
They have the tools you need to.
- [60:28]
B
Start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing to.
- [60:32]
A
Selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need.
- [60:35]
C
There's a reason millions of companies like.
- [60:37]
A
Mattel, Heinz and Allbirds continue to trust and use them.
- [60:41]
B
With Shopify on your side, turn your.
- [60:43]
C
Big business idea into Sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com specialoffer.