Ep. #720: Paul Anka, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), TX State Rep. James Talarico

Summary

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Real Time with Bill Maher – Ep. #720: Paul Anka, Rep. Lauren Boebert, State Rep. James Talarico

Date: February 21, 2026
Host: Bill Maher
Guests: Paul Anka, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), State Rep. James Talarico (D-TX)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" dives into the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court ruling limiting presidential tariff authority, American checks and balances, culture war issues like Christian nationalism, generational changes in political confessions, and the lingering shadow of the Epstein case. Iconic singer-songwriter Paul Anka joins for a wide-ranging interview on his legendary career, while Representatives Lauren Boebert and James Talarico debate with Maher on law, faith, political polarization, and more. The episode closes with Maher’s signature "New Rules," targeting the State of the Union and the myth of presidential omnipotence.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Supreme Court Rejects Trump Tariff Powers

[02:08 – 07:01]

• Supreme Court Decision: Bill Maher celebrates the Supreme Court finally limiting Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs without Congressional approval, joking, “Don’t fuck with the money.” (02:08)

• Maher on Trump’s Reaction: “He went batshit about it, of course... He’s such a Karen. Everything is, ‘I want to speak to the manager.’ And the Supreme Court said, ‘We’re the manager.’” (02:38)

• Interpretation of Checks and Balances: Talarico and Maher discuss how this shows that “the boat is leaky, but it ain't sunk.” (28:50)

Notable quote:

“I know how women feel now. A guy buys you dinner and then expects you to put out. Okay. I’m not that guy.” – Bill Maher (05:00)

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2. Interview: Paul Anka on Legacy, Songwriting, and Reinvention

[08:33 – 22:14]

• On Longevity and Reinvention: Anka shares that “the gravitas of being the writer kicked in for me, and I realized that if you were the writer, you had a chance to last. And that’s what I did. I focused on the writing.” (10:03)

• Changing Music Industry: Maher points out that Anka was writing and performing his own material before Dylan and the Beatles, which revolutionized the industry. (11:18)

• Vegas, Rat Pack, and Staying in Shape: Anka discusses learning from Sinatra and the Vegas crowd — “I learned things. What not to do and what to do… I realized those guys who were the best, Sinatra, they were the best. The women I liked, I hung in there.” (13:00)

• Backstory on “My Way”: Anka reveals the origin, writing it for Sinatra, and rewriting it for world leaders as a gimmick. (16:14, 18:09)

  “...He said, ‘Kid, that’s my nickname, Kid. He said, I love it. I’m going to do it.’ Two months later, he called me from a studio in L.A. ...I heard ‘My Way’ for the first time. And it was such a hit for him. He stayed 10 more years.” – Paul Anka (16:34)

• Songwriting with Michael Jackson: Anka discusses co-writing “Love Never Felt So Good,” and having songs end up shelved until after Jackson's death. (19:00)

• Reworking Sinatra: Maher notes Anka’s revised lyric for “That’s Life,” ending on a positive note — “I’m going to get on a big bird and fly” instead of “roll myself up in a big ball and die.” (21:54)

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3. Tariffs, the Courts, and Economic Pain

[22:34 – 28:50]

• Panel Reactions:

  • Boebert (R-CO): Argues the Supreme Court’s decision undermines Trump’s successful tariff strategy, suggesting unilateral presidential action is justified to protect America from being taken advantage of (24:53).
  • Talarico (D-TX): Praises checks and balances; counters that tariffs have increased costs for working families and that Trump has failed to address high prices (25:06).
  • Maher: Notes that tariffs cost the average American an extra $1,000, referencing studies (26:34).

• Boebert on Fees: Suggests renaming tariffs as “fees” to circumvent legal obstacles, referencing tactics used in Colorado (24:53).

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4. Is America a Christian Nation?

[31:20 – 38:49]

• Maher on Western Civilization: Defends Enlightenment values—“rule of law, respect for minorities, democracy, scientific inquiry”—as central, not specifically Christian faith (31:24).

• Lauren Boebert: Argues America is founded on Judeo-Christian values, wants church to direct government, questions "separation of church and state" as not being a constitutional phrase (33:07).

  “...The government is... I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk.” – Lauren Boebert (33:16)

• James Talarico: Recounts his faith heritage, but emphasizes love for all, separation of church and state, and protection for all religions.

  “As Christians, we’re supposed to follow Jesus, two commandments: love God and love neighbor. No exception to that second commandment...” (34:44)

• Debate over School Indoctrination vs. Education:

  • Boebert: Laments modern sex ed, prefers Ten Commandments in schools. (36:54)
  • Talarico: Opposes religious or ideological indoctrination in any form; insists on educational neutrality. (37:40)

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5. Political Confession Culture

[39:11 – 41:36]

• Satirical Segment: Maher mocks the political confession trend with fake podcast “admissions” from figures like Chris Christie, the Pope, Gavin Newsom, and Donald Trump, to riff on the demand for personal vulnerability from politicians now.

  “Sometimes I truth out long takedowns of my friends if they don’t text me back quickly enough.” – “Donald Trump” (fictional, 41:04)

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6. Talarico’s Rise and Texas Politics

[41:48 – 45:08]

• Maher asks Talarico: Why are you catching fire? “I think we are trying to build a movement that includes Democrats, Independents, and Republicans to try to take back our state...” (42:21)
• Boebert’s Praise: Congratulates Talarico’s primary run, pivots to criticize opposing Democrat Jasmine Crockett as “so radical, so extreme.” (44:05)
• Talarico: Emphasizes need to end one-party rule, calling it a recipe for extremism regardless of party. (45:11)

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7. Epstein Files & QAnon

[45:19 – 48:56]

• Maher: Admits QAnon was more correct about elite sexual abuse than he thought, but “Democrats don’t eat babies.”
• Boebert: Suggests unsettling elements in QAnon, but says she isn’t a QAnon follower. (46:01)
• Talarico: Criticizes Trump’s connection to Epstein, notes records list Trump 38,000 times. (47:03)
• Boebert: Credits Trump for releasing files, laments DOJ redactions, expresses desire for further transparency. (48:19)
• Maher: Notes Trump could have been honest and saved himself trouble by not lying about knowing Epstein. (48:08)

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8. New Rules & Closing Monologue: State of the Union—A Flawed Ritual

[49:06 – End]

• “New Rules” segment satirizes the Girl Scout cookie record, women seeking husbands at comic cons, and Facebook’s new AI “afterlife.”

• Closing Rant – The State of the Union:

  • Maher calls for abolishing the State of the Union address, critiquing its transformation into a “bitchin’” royal wish list that enforces the imperial presidency myth. (53:17)
  • Constitutional Literacy: Stresses that Congress, not the President, should be the “star” of U.S. democracy:

    “The President is at most up for best Supporting Actor.” (54:24)

  • Decries Congress’s abdication of war power and how public confusion on executive power is reinforced by the SOTU spectacle:

    “Americans think the President controls the price of eggs... the paths of hurricanes.” (54:41)

  • Concludes that the SOTU is embarrassing in its divisiveness and unnecessary pomp. (58:37)

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Notable Quotes

• Bill Maher: “The boat is leaky, but it ain't sunk.” (28:50)
• Paul Anka: “The gravitas of being the writer kicked in for me... If you were the writer, you had a chance to last.” (10:03)
• Lauren Boebert: “I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk.” (33:16)
• James Talarico: "Forcing my religion down their throats is not love. And the only other thing I’ll add, America is not a Christian nation. It is a nation where you are free to be a Christian or any of those other faiths or no faith at all." (35:44)
• Bill Maher’s closing monologue: “The star of this movie we call American Democracy is Congress. The President is at most up for best Supporting Actor.” (54:24)

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Episode Flow & Tone

• Energetic and irreverent: Maher’s style permeates the episode, combining satire, biting commentary, and engagement with guests from sharply opposed ideological backgrounds.
• Candid and confessional: From Anka’s tales of music legends to political introspection from Boebert and Talarico, the episode features personal and political vulnerability.
• Debate-focused: Boebert and Talarico spar but also find fleeting common ground, particularly on the value of religious liberty and the limits of government.
• Consistently topical: Touches on Supreme Court, presidential powers, tariffs, religious education, political polarization, and the cult of personality in politics.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Supreme Court / Tariffs: 02:08 – 07:01
• Paul Anka Interview: 08:33 – 22:14
• Boebert vs. Talarico Tariff Debate: 22:34 – 28:50
• Christian Nationalism / Church & State: 31:20 – 38:49
• Confession Culture Satire: 39:11 – 41:36
• Texas Politics / Talarico’s Campaign: 41:48 – 45:08
• Epstein & QAnon Segment: 45:19 – 48:56
• New Rules & State of the Union Rant: 49:06 – End

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Summary prepared for those who want in-depth insight without having listened.

Transcript

[Bill Maher]

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[Lauren Boebert]

How old were you when you realized you were the son of a president?

[Bill Maher]

I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before. FX's love story, John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette.

[Paul Anka]

I didn't think I could love someone like this until you.

[Bill Maher]

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It's not a question of if I

[Lauren Boebert]

want to spend the rest of my

[Bill Maher]

life with you, it's if I'm cut

out to be Mrs. JFK Jr. FX's love story, John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bassette. Watch now on FX, Hulu and Hulu

[Paul Anka]

on Disney plus for bundle subscribers.

[Bill Maher]

Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late night series Real Time with Bill Maher.

Thank you, people.

[James Talarico]

How are you? Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. All right. What a day. Okay, thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

[Bill Maher]

All right, I know why you're happy today. The Supreme Court has finally said no to Donald Trump on time. And it's true, the Supreme Court, you know, said they struck down his request to have emergency powers to impose tariffs. They said yes to pretty much everything he wanted to do. But here they finally said, you know what? Don't fuck with the money.

[James Talarico]

Uh,

[Bill Maher]

Trump took it very well. I'm joking, of course. He went batshit about it, of course. That it was a disgrace of these fucking courts. He's such a. Karen, you know, I.

[James Talarico]

I mean, everything he does, Everything is

[Bill Maher]

always, I want to speak to the manager. And the Supreme Court said, we're the manager.

[James Talarico]

So after,

[Bill Maher]

after this whole year of tariffs that we've been going through, have you been thinking to yourself, you know, why didn't other presidents think of doing this and not confiding in Congress when their Constitution says they have to? They, they did think of it. They thought it was illegal, so they didn't do it. Now the President says there are other ways he can get what he wants with the tariff. I don't know what they are, but if you've ever been to Washington D.C. and you've seen that majestic Supreme Court building, it's gonna make a lovely ballroom. That's all I can tell you.

[Paul Anka]

Or,

[James Talarico]

or maybe when he says that

[Bill Maher]

it was just a joke, we don't know.

[James Talarico]

No, that's the thing.

[Bill Maher]

I found this out last week. Oh, boy, did I find it out. You have to know when he's joking. And it's not that easy. This week, for example, he was talk, talking about Melania's movie, which actually did better than people thought. And he said, you know, she's gonna be a big movie star and there's not room in one family for two stars. Joke, joke.

[James Talarico]

Okay, That's a joke. I think that's okay. Because now,

[Bill Maher]

see, now, because now it's our job to tell which of the jokes and which are the things that are just part of his sometimes batshit agenda. Okay, we have to know this. And I didn't know. See, like, I woke up Saturday morning to a blistering social media text from him. Went on and on Valentine's Day, by the way, he was very mad at me because I didn't get his joke about how China is going to make Canada give up hockey. I didn't.

[James Talarico]

You know, I think we're going to

[Bill Maher]

have to workshop that one for a while. So he went off on me and said, you know, the dinner we had was a waste of time. Well, I didn't think it was. And then I'm a jerk and I'm a low ratings lightweight and all this shit. Because I never stopped criticizing him. I never said I would. And I know how women feel now. A guy buys you dinner and then expects you to put out. Okay.

[James Talarico]

And I'm not that guy. And of course he accused me of having trouble.

[Bill Maher]

Trump derangement syndrome. Okay, we're off next week. The next week, our show, I think March 6th. We come back, I'm gonna address this at the end. His whole long screen. Yes.

[James Talarico]

And prove that I don't have Trump derangement syndrome.

[Bill Maher]

And a lot of other stuff he said that wasn't really true. That, you know, I immediately asked for a drink. Okay. Immediately wanted a vodka. Okay. It was a margarita. It was not a vodka. And it wasn't immediately. I had a drink before dinner, as people do. He said I was nervous and scared. No confidence. Bullshit. It's so funny because, you know, I got so much shit from the left for reporting honestly that in person he was very different, very nice, very gracious. And then he says no, he was scared.

[James Talarico]

I can't.

[Bill Maher]

I'm like the Democrats with an election I just can't win, you know.

[James Talarico]

But

[Bill Maher]

president has bigger things on his mind. All the ships are in place now around Iran. Do you know this for this, what looks like an imminent attack on Iran. Interestingly, right where we're doing this, he had the first meeting of his, you know, he has this new board of peace. He had meeting of the board of peace and he told them make this, make this snappy. I got a war in the oven.

[James Talarico]

Which I'm not against. See, I don't have Trump derangement syndrome most time the of how it goes.

[Bill Maher]

And boy, this war though, this Iran thing has people very nervous. The price of gold, you know, this always happens when people went through the roof. It's over $5,000 for an ounce of gold. The other day, Sydney Sweeney was wearing gold earrings and she had to tell somebody, my tits are down. The other big story, I'm sure you saw this. The artist formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested and held for a few hours, then let go. Unlike the girls on Epstein Island. Unlike the girls on Epstein Island. And this is so interesting, they got Prince Andrew for giving trade secrets away. Child sex ring. Well, whatever. But you crossed the line with trade secrets. That's. Apparently Prince Andrew tipped off Epstein that there were lucrative mining deals to be had in Afghanistan. Oh, funny mix up. There was a party on Epstein island and Prince Andrew asked him if he could bring a bunch of miners.

[James Talarico]

All right, we got a great show. We have Representative Lauren Boebert and Texas State Representative James Talarico. But first up, he is a legend, pure and simple. If you don't believe me, watch the

[Bill Maher]

Paul Anker His Way doc on HBO Max and his new album, his inspirations of life and love.

[James Talarico]

Paul Anker, great to meet you again. I'm seeing you.

[Paul Anka]

Yes.

[James Talarico]

How you doing? All right.

[Bill Maher]

That never gets old, does it?

[Paul Anka]

Never.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, we do. But not that you do. Yeah, well, that's true. I mean, people half your age are half as busy. I mean, you have a new album out, you have a tour. A tour you're going to go on. You're doing a Broadway show about your life. You medaled in the Olympics, I believe, last week.

[Paul Anka]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

Dating Doja Cat, Is that correct?

[Paul Anka]

That's over.

[Bill Maher]

That's over. But she did put out your song on TikTok, did she not?

[Paul Anka]

She did. But you had my shoulder.

[Bill Maher]

Put your Head on.

[James Talarico]

That's unbelievable.

[Paul Anka]

But she didn't sing the original version the way I wrote it, which was put your legs on my shoulders. Oh, I was 17. You can relate to that, Bill?

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, I think we can all relate to that. That sounds like more of, like a doja cat song. That's pretty funny. But did you ever think you'd be on TikTok? I mean, can you have me?

[Paul Anka]

I never thought I'd be on TikTok. And I never thought I'd be sitting here talking to you. When I started out as a kid, all I wanted to do was write. And I worked at a local newspaper. I was in school for grade 10 for a couple of years, unfortunately, and I writing. And when it hit for me once, I went to New York and I said, this can't last. I mean, the dream just came true. And I was for four years wondering, what do I do from here? Because I really didn't believe that it was going to last for me. But the gravitas of being the writer kicked in for me, and I realized that if you were the writer, you had a chance to last. And that's what I did. I focused on the writing.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah. I think one thing you do not get credit for is there was a revolution in the music industry at some point. I mean, before they say Dylan and the Beatles, that's usually who they think the revolution started with. And the revolution I'm talking about is back in the day, nobody ever thought a singer was the person who would write the songs for themselves. It just wasn't done. There was songwriters and there were singers who did them. Frank Sinatra never wrote a song. Elvis never wrote a song. I think he took credit on one. I know the. He wrote it.

[Paul Anka]

I'll leave that alone.

[Bill Maher]

Okay.

[Paul Anka]

Well, there's an old adage when we started. Write a word, get a third.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah.

[Paul Anka]

So all of the young writers that started, anybody that added a word or two, they ripped them off and took a third.

[Bill Maher]

But you were writing your own material before Dylan and the Beatles.

[Paul Anka]

Well, nobody would listen to me, so I was forced to write.

[Bill Maher]

Right. But.

[Paul Anka]

And I was writing. And I realized early in the game, Bill, that the writer was everything in anything. Without the writer, there are no singers, there's no lawyers, there's no agents, there's no record companies. There's nothing. So I respect those that write and create because without them, there wouldn't be anything that we see.

[Bill Maher]

I mean, there's a few reasons why you're still out there doing. And if people say to You. You know, why have you lasted? Why? I think I can answer that one. You can still sing now. I'm not going to mention names.

[Paul Anka]

Please do.

[Bill Maher]

No, because it's not flattering, but there are some of the heroes of my youth, musical heroes of my youth who are, you know, 70 and up. I'm sorry, they can't sing, which is unfortunate, because they still sing. You can still sing. The latest album. It sounds just like you always did. I saw in the documentary you did the new version of My Way at the. It was New Year's Eve.

[Paul Anka]

Yes, on Times Square. Times Square rewrote it for the event that night.

[Bill Maher]

You built it out, just like you always have.

[Paul Anka]

You know, you take care of yourself and it pays off later in life. And I've always lived a certain lifestyle. I did not, you know, hanging out with the Rat Pack in Vegas as I did, I learned things. What not to do and what to do. So between the drinking, the gambling, the women and everything else, I had a choice. And I realized those guys who were the best, Sinatra, they were the best. I learned from them. You know, every night it was cigarettes and smoking and women and everything. The women I liked, I hung in there.

[James Talarico]

That's not bad for you.

[Paul Anka]

I loved it because as a teenager, I got really shortchanged. I was unattractive, I was shy, I couldn't get with girls. And as soon as I had my first hit record, the floodgates opened, you know, and when you work in Vegas, there was an enormous amount of lumbering going on that manifested itself with girls that were just incredible. They were all showgirls, and it was a fun fest all the time.

[Bill Maher]

How did we get onto this from staying in good shape?

[James Talarico]

I'll tell you what.

[Paul Anka]

Because I continue to do it, and it keeps me in good shape.

[James Talarico]

Right?

[Paul Anka]

Listen, I don't want to get into ageism, but folks, don't live. Whatever your age is, forget about it. Keep the old man out. If you feel good, you take care of yourself. Just live your life. Live the moment. Time is your asset. Forget about age. Do whatever you want.

[James Talarico]

Yeah, you're single now, right, cousin?

[Bill Maher]

You're single now.

[Paul Anka]

I am single now.

[Bill Maher]

Single and ready to mingle.

[Paul Anka]

I'm.

[James Talarico]

Are you.

[Paul Anka]

I've always been a mingler.

[Bill Maher]

I mean, you. It's funny, you know, you've had so many lives. When I watched this documentary, I mean, I knew all of them. But the documentary is so great because it puts them all together. I mean, of course, I knew that you were the teen idol guy. You were the put your head on my shoulder guy. And then my favorite period, because it was when I was in my 20s, the 70s rat pack guy with, you know, all those great songs. Good Morning Yesterday, that How's your life?

[Paul Anka]

Having my baby.

[Bill Maher]

Oh, having my baby. Which I could relate to. Not at all.

[James Talarico]

But I still love the song.

[Paul Anka]

And how about I'll never get married. Right?

[Bill Maher]

What a terrible way to say it.

[Paul Anka]

What a thought.

[Bill Maher]

But hold me till the morning, yeah.

[Paul Anka]

Comes what?

[Bill Maher]

This guy's got it on his brain today. But, I mean, so many could be worse, great songs. But, you know, then you were also the guy who wrote My Way, you know, which is.

[Paul Anka]

Well, Sinatra was inspiring. You know, what happened there was. I had dinner with him in Florida. He was doing a film, late 60s, called lady in Cement.

[Bill Maher]

I remember it.

[Paul Anka]

And by that title, with the guys that we worked for, it could have been a documentary, but. So he took me to dinner and he said, I'm quitting show business. Had enough. Rat Pack's over. I'm tired. But I'm doing one more album with Don Costa. He never wrote me a song. Now, Costa was the guy that found me. I gave him all the credit, and I introduced him to Sinatra. And I said, really? Seth Quidding? He never wrote me a song. You know, when I hung with him, I wasn't gonna give him puppy love or Lonely Boy. He would have thrown me out a window, you know? And I went back to New York, and I'm in my apartment, midnight, and I start writing metaphorically. And now the end is near. And it wrote itself. It wrote itself. Five hours later, I called him at Caesar's Palace. I said, sir, I've got something for you. He said, bring it out. I flew out the next night. I sang it to him. He said, kid. That's my nickname, Kid. He said, I love it. I'm going to do it. Two months later, he called me from a studio in Los Angeles. He said, kid, listen to this. He took a phone and he put it next to a speaker, and I heard My Way for the first time. And it was such a hit for him. He stayed 10 more years.

[James Talarico]

It always struck me.

[Bill Maher]

I mean, you're Canadian.

[Paul Anka]

Yes, sir.

[Bill Maher]

It struck me odd that a Canadian would write that lyric, though.

[Paul Anka]

Why is that?

[Bill Maher]

I did it My Way. It's so Trumpy,

[Paul Anka]

You know, I did do a My Way version for Trump at Mar A Lago. I used to work for him, and I wrote it for him as part. I think it was his birthday. But there was something going on. And he announced back then he was thinking of becoming president. So I rewrote this lyric of My way for him, which I've done all over the world, from Putin, the White House, and it's something that I do with my way. So it's a song that I have fun when I rewrite it, and I'll do it for you when you get married.

[Bill Maher]

Well.

[Paul Anka]

Which means I don't have to write anything.

[Bill Maher]

No, you're safe on that. But I also love the stuff you did with Michael Jackson. You know, I remember when that song came out, Love Never Felt so Good.

[Paul Anka]

Well, this is. It was the first one.

[Bill Maher]

Okay.

[Paul Anka]

Before Love Never Felt so Good.

[Bill Maher]

But Love Never Felt is the one that I. When it. I said, why didn't they release that? Michael must have been high on the propofol that day because. Oh, shut the fuck up. Because it's such a great record. Yeah, but it's because you and he wrote it together and then they put it in the vault.

[Paul Anka]

Well, what happened was I wrote it with him prior, and we were supposed to finish it together, but he chose to not finish the project because Thriller took off and he. I don't want to say stolen. He borrowed the tapes out of the studio and I couldn't get my music back till finally we got it together. It was in a drawer for many, many years. When he passed, they went into his house and found all of these songs, one of which was this Is it from his special. Which was the first one. Then they called me up and said, we found another song called Love Never Felt so Good. I said, well, I wrote that also. Oh. Then Drake heard I had another one called It Don't Matter To Me, which was Michael's last record. And he came to my house and he said, I'd like to finish it with you. And we finished it Don't Matter To Me. And that was the last record we did with Michael.

[Bill Maher]

So on the new album, I noticed you do three Sinatra songs. You do. When I was 17.

[Paul Anka]

Correct.

[Bill Maher]

Right. And you do. What was the other one?

[Paul Anka]

Oh, Let me Try Again.

[Bill Maher]

Let me try Again. Which I didn't realize until I read it. You wrote that with Sammy Khan.

[Paul Anka]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

Also from a French song.

[Paul Anka]

That's correct.

[Bill Maher]

Right. Like My Way.

[Paul Anka]

Correct.

[Bill Maher]

And then you redo. I mean, one of Frank's big hit, that's Life. But you change the last line. It's my last question. I'll let you go.

[Paul Anka]

No, I don't want to go yet.

[Bill Maher]

Good. But if you don't remember the single, you know, one of Frank's biggest. I've been a puppet, a pirate, a party, a poet. I saw a pawn and a king. I've been up and down, over and around.

[Paul Anka]

I know one thing, that's my sex life. Well, what I did, Bill. What I did, Bill. This album is about life and love. I listened to a bunch of songs that I could put in this very special mood with a large orchestra. The lyric of that's Life, when you strip it from the rhythm and blues vibe that it had, it really played well. And we did it with the Symphony in Budapest. And it's one of my favorite tracks because it's so off the wall of the chance that I took with it. And I really like that track a lot.

[Bill Maher]

You changed the last line.

[Paul Anka]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

It's iconic, that last line. If things aren't shaking this July, I'm going to roll myself up in a big ball and die.

[Paul Anka]

Correct.

[Bill Maher]

And what did you change it to?

[Paul Anka]

I didn't do anything.

[Bill Maher]

Yes, you did.

[Paul Anka]

I left it out.

[Bill Maher]

No, you. I said, I'm going to get on a big bird and fly.

[Paul Anka]

Yes, I'm going to get on a big bird and fly.

[Bill Maher]

Well, that's different than die and not

[Paul Anka]

the best, but I didn't want to end it on that kind of a note.

[Bill Maher]

Okay, good.

[Paul Anka]

You really listened to that album.

[Bill Maher]

I love it. Love all your stuff. Thank you, sir.

[James Talarico]

Appreciate you being here. We'll see you again, I hope, soon. All right, Paul Anka, ladies and gentlemen. Let's lead our panel. Okay. Hey, how you doing? All right, here's our panel. He is a Texas state representative who's

[Bill Maher]

currently running in the 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. senate, James Talarico. James.

[James Talarico]

Causing a lot of consternation. And she is a Republican congresswoman who represents Colorado's 4th district. Lauren Boebert is here with us. How you doing? Okay, let's get to this was a

[Bill Maher]

big story today, Trump. I said a few weeks ago, I said we're going to find out about the Supreme Court with the tariff issue. If they go along with this, then we really do not have three branches of government. Well, I think it's good news for America, but I want to get your opinion on that. You know, both sides change definition of words all the time. I mean, the left changed violence to anything we don't like. They change woman to I'm not sure what, but they changed that one.

[Lauren Boebert]

No one's been able to answer that.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, that's been a tough one. Trump changed emergency to anything I want to do and not have to get Congress involved. And the Supreme Court said, no, that is not how it works in this country. Including two people who he appointed. Good day for America.

[James Talarico]

I think.

Absolutely.

[Lauren Boebert]

I don't really agree with the Supreme Court's ultimate decision here. I don't think that comes as too much of a surprise. But the three branches of government are not supposed to work symmetrically. I don't believe that they have equal powers. They are separate and not equal. There are different functions and different roles. You are right. Article one is Congress. And I do think that we have a role in this. But President Trump is stopped by the judicial branch, the judiciary branch, very often. And I think this could harm America. We were seeing great results from the tariffs. But if we're going to just change the names and the terms, well, let's do what the leftist politicians do, what Democrats do, especially in my home state of Colorado, and call it something else like a fee. We have taxes that these citizens vote on. However, on top of that is fee after fee after fee that no one ever takes a vote on, yet we are forced to pay whatever that fee is. So maybe instead of, yeah, we live

[Bill Maher]

in California enough to tell us, yes,

[James Talarico]

so maybe President Trump just needs to

[Lauren Boebert]

start imposing these fees.

[Bill Maher]

Okay.

[Lauren Boebert]

He can unilaterally, you know, stop any. Any trade that he wants and prevent anything from coming in. I think that he should be able to. To dictate the terms and not allow America to get taken advantage of it.

[Bill Maher]

That's an opposing view.

[James Talarico]

Well, I, I'm really glad that we're starting to see checks and balances in our government again. And the only thing I. The only thing I'll disagree with is, at least in Texas, these tariffs have been driving up prices. A lot of people in our state voted for President Trump for one reason and one reason only. They thought he would lower costs. And people took a chance on him because they thought he would get the economy back on track. And a year later, he's done the exact opposite. And I think in large part because of these crazy tariffs, we have seen the price of food going up in our state, the price of groceries. And you add that on top of the. The rising cost of child care and prescription drugs and higher education and housing, it is locking people out of the American dream. And so I don't think this tariff regime has been productive. I don't think it's been useful. And I think it's hurt a lot of people, including a lot of people who voted for the president in 2024.

[Lauren Boebert]

I mean, I would Just add to that. Under the Biden administration, certainly prices went through the roof and inflation was unbearable. And President Trump has done a great job of getting the economy back to a more stable place. It's not where it needs to be by any means. And you talk about childcare going up. Well, maybe that's, you know, due to some leering centers here and there. But, you know, we've got to get this under control in a reasonable way. And gas prices are down, food prices are going down. It was so much higher under the Biden administration.

[Bill Maher]

I mean, they did. The studies have shown. Maybe it's fake news. You know, they did cost the average American $1,000. The tariffs, which would make sense.

[Lauren Boebert]

And certainly there were goods that were more expensive because of that, because there are tariffs involved. We're charging people more money. But look at the tariff on China. President Trump said, well, one of them, I'm going to charge you 20% tariffs on your goods because you, you are making money sending fentanyl into our country and killing American citizens. So I'm going to tariff you more than what you are making on the fentanyl that is killing Americans. And we have seen a huge decrease in the fentanyl poisoning that was taking place. Colorado was number two in the nation for a long time.

[Bill Maher]

Well, like many of the things he does, I mean, the idea behind it is not always bad, but you can't do it without consulting the company institution.

[James Talarico]

Now, I just want to say one more thing, and then we'll move on

[Bill Maher]

to something else, but this idea, because a lot of people stop me all the time, Bill. The world is so insane now. Well, it always has been. And yes, there is that. There's a lot of insanity going on. But just to calm yourself down a little about the checks and balances thing, this is from the New York Times. Hundreds of judges around the country have ruled more than 4,400 times, times since October that Donald Trump's administration is detaining immigrants unlawfully. 4400 times then. This is from the New York Times. Lawmakers have systematically brushed off many of Trump's most severe cuts. The result is a set of annual government expenses that do not appear radically different than what he inherited a year ago. EPA, they wanted to cut it 54%. It's cut 4%. HUD, they wanted to cut at 44%. It's plus 9%. CDC, they wanted to cut at 41%. Minus 1%. Education, they wanted to get rid of it altogether. It has a 1% increase. So things are not quite as crazy as you think they are. And apparently our system is still somewhat still working. The boat is leaky, but it ain't sunk.

[James Talarico]

All right, I want to ask about

[Bill Maher]

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[Bill Maher]

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[Bill Maher]

Marco Rubio is in Munich. This has become a big thing. Every year they all go to Munich. Boy, it's like the new Iowa primary there. And he said, we are part of one civilization, Western civilization. Now I want to first of all say something about Western civilization. Kids, you don't know what the fuck it is. And I'm no, really. They think Western means white and white means bad kids. First of all, everything bad that white people did, people of color did it too. The Japanese before World War II and during World War II and Genghis Khan and I could go on and on. You know, the left is very down on America, very down on the West. And it's ironic because the west has also given us everything that makes your life good here. Don't ask Billie Eilish or Chapel Roan about what the Western values are. Because they'll just say it's about oppression,

[James Talarico]

but it's not about oppression.

[Bill Maher]

It's about rule of law, it's about respect for minorities, it's about democracy, it's about scientific inquiry. These are all good things that came from the Western world. I wish the schools would teach that again. But Mr. Rubio said we are part of one civilization, Western civilization bound to another by the deepest bonds. And he mentions shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, common civilization. I want to ask about the Christian faith part because you two are going to line up against me.

[James Talarico]

Now.

[Lauren Boebert]

I know you ready for some holy ghosts?

[Bill Maher]

I am. I know you two are very Christians, but I think we're going to find that that doesn't always mean the same thing. I don't think Christian faith belongs in this list as much now. Certainly the Western canon comes through countries that had Christian faith, but it's not what brings us together. It's Enlightenment values, the ones I just mentioned. I mean, I know you disagree with this vehemently because you think this should be a Christian nation. And Christian nationalism is now a big thing and part of it. They've done surveys on this and most Republicans say we should declare a Christian nation, that this should be declared a Christian nation. I think this is absolutely not what the Constitution says. Laws based on Christian values. Being a Christian is an important part of being truly American. I vehemently disagree with that.

[Lauren Boebert]

So with all interesting. I do believe that we were founded on. On Judeo Christian values. And certainly we don't need a religion as a whole to govern our country. Are you reading a quote from me?

[Bill Maher]

I mean, yeah. You say the church is supposed to direct the government. Yes, I do believe that the government is.

[Lauren Boebert]

I do believe that. I don't believe this.

[Bill Maher]

I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk.

[Lauren Boebert]

Let's go there. So that is not in the Constitution as so many people think. Think the separation of church and state. This is Jefferson. No, this is in the Federalist. This is in letters that Jefferson had written. This is not in the Constitution. And I'm not talking about Congress shall make no law. No, I'm not talking about the First Amendment. It does not say separation of church and state there.

[Bill Maher]

Not in those words.

[Lauren Boebert]

And so we don't want a church state and say this is the religion you must follow. I absolutely believe in freedom of religion, but where are we going to as a whole get our morals from? And that's what our country being founded on Judeo Christian values gave us a sense of agreement of these are the values, the moral standards that we will be governed by and govern ourselves by in this new country. And I think it had a great run. And then there's so many different flavors put on Christianity and so many different viewpoints that it certainly has been diluted. And then you get a mix of other religions in which is.

[Bill Maher]

So being Christian is an important part of being truly American. You would also disagree with that.

[Lauren Boebert]

I do believe that that goes to the roots of our foundation. Absolutely. Our founding fathers were Christians.

[Bill Maher]

And you can be truly American without being Christian.

[Lauren Boebert]

You certainly can. And I do think that it's

[James Talarico]

a policeman we're raised. Where do you stand on all this?

Well, you know, my granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas. My faith is very important to me. He told me when I was real little that as Christians, we're supposed to follow Jesus, two commandments to love God and love neighbor. And there was no exception to that second commandment, love thy neighbor, regardless of race or gender or sexual orientation or immigration status or religious affiliation. And so in Texas, constantly battling Christian nationalism. A bill that forces every public school teacher to put up a poster of the Ten Commandments, a bill that replaces school counselors with untrained chaplains. A bill that would have taught Christian Bible stories as historical fact to our youngest students. And I always speak up on behalf of my Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, agnostic, atheist neighbors, because I as a Christian, we as Christians are called to love them as ourselves. And forcing my religion down their throats is not love. And the only other thing I'll add, America is not a Christian nation. It is a nation where you are free to be a Christian or any of those other faiths or no faith at all.

[Lauren Boebert]

I do like that.

[James Talarico]

And the other. And I recognize that the phrase separation of church and state isn't in the Constitution, but the establishment clause and the free exercise clause in our First Amendment clearly create a separation between church and state. And I would. Many of our founders were deists, which I think a lot of the far right, the religious right in this country would probably call them not real Christians given their beliefs. And yes, they blended enlightenment thinking with a Christian background into something that I think a lot of far right Christian leaders would not recognize in this day and age. So I think it's just important that we remember our true history and we try to honor that promise of America of a melting pot of e pluribus unum out of many. One, it's a promise we obviously haven't ever fulfilled, but it is one that we're still trying to fulfill.

[Lauren Boebert]

I think we've done a good job of. I just want to make one point here. So you're battling, like, to have the Ten Commandments in school and certain biblical stories taught as fact. Well, when I went to school, there was Greek mythology that we were required to, you know, learn and study about. Now in Colorado, we have comprehensive sex ed, where as young as kindergarten, I mean, children are taught all of these things. You can be whatever gender you want to be, and that is being forced down their throats. The sexualization of our children. I would much rather my children see the Ten Commandments. That basically just gives a moral standard rather than saying you can pleasure yourself. And here's how to an elementary.

[James Talarico]

Here's just what. I would disagree because I don't want indoctrination of any form, whether it comes from the left or the right in our schools. I want education, not indoctrination.

[Bill Maher]

Yes.

[Lauren Boebert]

Can we have reading, writing, math?

[James Talarico]

And my, my, my problem is seeing politicians in Texas force everybody to put up a poster the Ten Commandments, when they don't even follow the Ten Commandments themselves. And that is, to me, I just think as. As people of faith, like, we should be, we should be trying to follow those Ten Commandments rather than trying to force people to put up a poster. Because to me, that indicates a dead religion. If you have to force people to put up a poster to prove your legitimacy, that means we don't have a living faith anymore.

[Lauren Boebert]

Sure.

[James Talarico]

And so I think this is not just a threat to democracy. I think it's a threat to the church. Because that separation doesn't just protect the state, it protects the church. Because when the church gets too cozy with political power, it loses its prophetic voice, its ability to speak truth to power. And that's what that separation is. It's what it protects. And it's why Christians, including many Protestant Christians, fought for that separation, because they believed it benefited them. We got to get back to that in this country.

So there was a very important development

[Bill Maher]

this last week that I have to mention. Robert Kennedy went on a podcast and he said, I'm not scared of. This is amazing. He said, I'm not scared of a germ. You know, I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats. Did I mention he is the Secretary of Health and Human Services?

[Lauren Boebert]

He didn't inhale, Bill.

[Bill Maher]

He didn't inhale even the worst. That's. Dude, that's gross. Dude. So it's just pointing to this, I think, important fact, which is that this is the way politicians act nowadays. I don't know about you two, but it's like, you have to get ahead. People like emo these days. They like you to be confessional. They like to know about your personal life. It used to be you had to be buttoned down and deny and be this separate person. No, they don't like that. They like it just like we do in show business. Tell them everything. So we. We have found out that a lot of other people have been going on podcasts and giving their confessions. Would you like to see some of the ones?

[James Talarico]

These are all people getting ahead of the game.

[Bill Maher]

Boy like Chris Christie took a page out of Robert Kennedy's book and he said, I once ate half a jelly donut I found on a porta Potty floor. You see that? It's way ahead of this. The Pope said, I find communion wafers dry, but they're still better than Chicago style pizza.

[James Talarico]

Mondani. The mayor of New York said, I

[Bill Maher]

always cry at the end of Red Dawn.

[Paul Anka]

Oh.

[Bill Maher]

Hillary Clinton said, during the Benghazi attack, I turned my phone off to watch dance moms.

[James Talarico]

Our governor, Gavin Newsom said, anyone can

[Bill Maher]

be a sex addict in la. Talk to me after you've been a sex addict. In Sacramento,

[James Talarico]

Pete Hegseth said, I'll vote

[Bill Maher]

for AOC just because she used to be a bartender.

[James Talarico]

Lindsey Graham.

[Bill Maher]

I dressed up like Margot Robbie's character to see Wuthering Heights.

[James Talarico]

Well, that could have been for any reason. We don't know what that means. We don't know.

[Bill Maher]

Oh, the president, Donald Trump said, sometimes I truth out long takedowns of my friends if they don't text me back quickly enough.

[James Talarico]

Travis Kelce said, I'm sick of finding

[Bill Maher]

cat hair all over every fucking thing.

[James Talarico]

Kanye.

[Bill Maher]

This whole time I've had Jews confused with Italians.

[James Talarico]

And Bad Bunny.

[Bill Maher]

To be honest, I can't even understand what I'm saying.

[James Talarico]

All right, so,

[Bill Maher]

Oneness. One more thing about religion. And before I do, I want to say, you know, people know you. Now they are getting to know you. I'm just getting to know you. And you're just running in the primary. You're just running in the primary in Texas. Not even the main battle. Why did you catch fire so much? And why are you not Beto 2.0? I mean, because people are always saying, texas, we're going to turn Texas blue. And now you're the newest guy to do that. What is it? What do you Think that has got everybody so interested in you?

[James Talarico]

Well, I'm an eighth generation Texan, so my family's been in the state since it was Mexico. And we are seeing a growing backlash to the extremism and the corruption in our government all over the state. I have been traveling every corner of Texas. So many people have been coming out to these events, particularly a lot of young people. And I can't tell you how many people come up to me afterwards and whisper, I'm not a Democrat, like it's some kind of secret. And so we are, I think, trying to build a movement that includes Democrats, Independents and Republicans to try to take back our state and take back our country. And there are a lot of people across our state that really want someone who's going to focus on them for once. Because right now you've got people in high elected office who seem more concerned with padding their bank accounts or accumulating more power. And no one seems to be trying to make life easier and better for people.

[Bill Maher]

And.

[Paul Anka]

I've served for four terms in the

[James Talarico]

state House in Texas as a Democrat, which is not an easy place to work in the Texas legislature. And I've stood up to my Republican colleagues when I feel like they're doing harmful things. But I also know how to work across the aisle to actually get stuff done.

[Bill Maher]

So if you get elected, you'll be working together. Can you work together?

[James Talarico]

Yeah.

[Lauren Boebert]

First, I want to ask, do you ever stand up to your Democrat Party? Because sometimes that is the most difficult thing to do. And I have stood up to my own party on issues more than I have.

[Bill Maher]

So have I. Democrats.

[Lauren Boebert]

Right. And, you know, and I do want to congratulate you on, you know, the success so far in your campaign. Maybe I should endorse Jasmine Crockett so you could do a little better. But this is my official endorsement.

[James Talarico]

But that's who you're running against. Jasmine Crocker.

[Lauren Boebert]

Right. And I do think that is why he, in the Democrat portion of this primary is doing so well. Because his opponent is so radical, so extreme. Just a false identity, came from one place, pretends to be from another. And it's just so radical and extreme. Now, I want John Cornyn out. I do not want him in.

[Bill Maher]

He's not conservative enough for you?

[Lauren Boebert]

No.

[Bill Maher]

Wow.

[Lauren Boebert]

No, not at all.

[Bill Maher]

Me neither.

[Lauren Boebert]

And gotta get him out. You know, certainly I want a hippie. I certainly want a Republican to win that, you know, Chip Roy to be ag. But thank you for doing your best to get rid of Jasmine Crockett.

[Bill Maher]

For the rest of us.

[James Talarico]

Well, okay. Well, I just. I mean, I am in a primary with Congresswoman Crockett, but she and I, we've served together. We do have different approaches to campaigning and politics, but we are both trying to fight 30 years of one party rule in our state, which has led to the extremism and the corruption I was talking about.

[Bill Maher]

We're trying to do that here in California, too.

[James Talarico]

And, Bill, to your point, one party rule, whether it's Democrats or Republicans, always leads to extremism.

[Bill Maher]

Absolutely. Okay, last issue. Because I know this is important to you and it comes up every week. And I, by the way, again, talking about taking it on the chin. I do as much as I can here. I apologize to QAnon. A couple of weeks ago, I said, you know, when it comes to this Epstein stuff, you had it righter than me. Now, they also believe a lot of real batshit nonsense for now.

[Lauren Boebert]

You think it's batshit?

[Bill Maher]

They don't eat babies. Democrats don't eat babies. You think they eat babies?

[Lauren Boebert]

There is a lot of consumption talk in the stuff. Now, are there babies? I don't know. No, you. You can laugh all you want, but, I mean, there is some sick stuff in here that is implying.

[Bill Maher]

But that's not eating babies. Come on.

[Lauren Boebert]

I'm not saying they're eating babies. I'm saying there is talk of consumption and it ain't pizza. And I'm not saying that I am QAnon by any means. But this is deep, dark, satanic, awful, sacrificial, and this stuff is gross.

[Bill Maher]

See, this is what I'm saying. Here I am sacrificing myself saying, you know what? I was wrong, QAnon. And then you don't meet me halfway. You insist they might be eating babies.

[Lauren Boebert]

I just think there's some questionable stuff.

[James Talarico]

Here's what it is.

[Bill Maher]

QAnon said there's this vast elite around the world conspiracy to, you know, traffic kids and pedophiles. And they were more right than I let on than I thought they were. Okay? So that's what I'm giving you. And it wasn't just Prince Andrew in the parlor with the dildo, okay?

[James Talarico]

QAnon was wrong about one big thing. They thought Donald Trump was the one to take down this secret pedophile ring when he is mentioned 38,000 times in the Epstein files. He flew repeatedly on Epstein's private jet and then lied about it. He sent Epstein a happy birthday card with a picture of a naked woman talking about their, quote, wonderful secret. So the fact that QAnon thought that guy was going to take down the secret pedophile ring when he's right in the middle of it, I think was clearly wrong.

[Lauren Boebert]

Who is the president right now? President Trump. Who signed the order to release the files? President Trump did.

[Bill Maher]

Well, there was a lot of pressure from folks like you to make him

[Lauren Boebert]

do that, and I'm proud to have done that. But he also signed it the same

[Bill Maher]

day it was passed, to be fair, to show I don't have Trump derangement syndrome. This also came out that the sheriff in Palm beach testified that in 2006, Trump called and said, everybody knows what's going on there. When I saw, I got the hell out of there, and you should stop doing this.

[James Talarico]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

So, like Trump, he's his own worst enemy. Instead of. He should have just said that instead of saying, I never knew him. I have my picture taken with a lot of people. He could have just said that to begin with. It would have been a much better version.

[Lauren Boebert]

I think everyone can agree the rollout of this was awful, horrendous, damaging, and now we have what we have. Even when I go to the doj, there's still redactions underneath the redactions that I'm supposed to view completely unredacted files. Now, do I want to see underage children images? No. But there are names that are still redacted, and we are still. Still working to get that information. But, you know, I. I'm happy with the transparency so far. I hated the rollout of it. Glad we're here and we're finally getting accountability. There's arrests happening, Prince Andrew to start, and I. I hope there's more to come.

[Bill Maher]

Okay, thank you very much.

[James Talarico]

You guys were a lot of fun. Time for new rules.

[Lauren Boebert]

All right.

[Bill Maher]

Okay. New rule. The Pennsylvania Girl Scout who shattered all records by selling over 81,000 boxes of cookies has to tell us her secret. Oh, who am I kidding? We already know what it is. Location, location, location.

[James Talarico]

Even more impressive, six of them were Thin Mints.

[Bill Maher]

Okay. The women who keep putting up billboards and buying ads on taxis and holding up signs in public about how they want to find a husband have to try hang out at a comic convention for five minutes. You want to meet a guy who'll be happy to find a woman? I got you. Give these players because that is a lightsaber in his pocket, and he is happy to see you. New rule. Since Nvidia CEO Jason Huang is one of the richest people on the planet, he has to buy a second outfit. Look, I know what you're trying to say, that I'm one of the cool tech titans and it's true, this does make you look cool in Milwaukee in the 1950s. New rule. I know Olympic skating is an art form, but can we all admit this guy is also thinking and after you're going to do me right. Neural now that Meta has patented a way for AI to run a dead person's Facebook account so they can continue to post and chat from after they're dead. It has to not do that. You're dead. Let someone else talk. I miss the that's the innocent days when the phrase the Internet is forever just meant don't send pictures of your dick. And finally, new rules. Since the State of the Union address is next Tuesday, let's get rid of the State of the Union address before Tuesday. And here's why. Nothing has misled the American people to the warped belief that the President can act like a king more than this stupid boring performative after dinner speech from hell where the sergeant at arms announces the president like he's a king. Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. And he walks into the room like Conor McGregor heading into the octagon. With members of Congress lining the aisle like medieval peasants hoping to touch the royal garments. And then he proceeds to tell Congress what he wants them to do, making it look like the President is in charge of everything and it's he who sets the agenda. But that's not what it says in the operating manual. You know the Constitution. Article 1 section. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. Not. Mostly not unless the President has a really bitchin idea. Nearly half the words in our Constitution are in Article 1. That's the one about Congress and all the stuff they're supposed to be in charge of. The exclusive power to make laws, declare war, tax, tariff,

[James Talarico]

Even organize the other branches.

[Bill Maher]

Congress creates the laws, the President is just supposed to execute them. Execute? Like the executor of a will. He doesn't decide the deceit's wishes, he just makes sure they're carried out. But you'd never know that from the State of the Union speech, which has become the President's big Etsy wish list for America.

[James Talarico]

For example, in his 2023 address, Joe

[Bill Maher]

Biden proposed the Junk Fee Prevention Act, a proposal that would ban excessive fees tax onto concert tickets, outlaw airlines from charging families a fee to sit together and put an end to resort fees. These are all great ideas and totally not the President's job to propose them. Again. He's just the enforcer. If Congress passes that law and then we find out Delta is still charging families to sit together. By all means, Pete Hegseth, send in the 101st Airborne to crack skulls.

[James Talarico]

But

[Bill Maher]

but don't get it mixed up. The star of this movie we call American Democracy is Congress. The President is at most up for best Supporting Actor. No wonder America

[James Talarico]

it's no wonder that

[Bill Maher]

Americans think the President controls the price of eggs. Nearly a third think he controls gas prices and the unemployment rate. One in four thinks he has control over interest rates and consumer prices. And the hosts of Fox and Friends think he can change the paths of hurricanes.

[Paul Anka]

Well,

[James Talarico]

Well, what do you expect when

[Bill Maher]

we have this big ballyhooed annual event that looks like the President's royal wedding to himself? It's everything George Washington did not want. Because Washington knew the Constitution and nowhere does it say the President has to get up before Congress every year and bloviate on and on like he's the slightly drunk best man at the rehearsal dinner. It only says that he shall, from time to time give to the Congress information on the in other words, an occasional status report, like a Facebook update. Washington's first State of the Union was 833 words. It was hardly worth throwing his wig on for. It lasted all of 10 minutes. Chuck Grassley barely had time to get settled in his seat.

[Paul Anka]

Seat.

[Bill Maher]

Our third president, Thomas Jefferson, stopped doing it in person altogether, as did all the presidents for the next 112 years. They just wrote a brief report because even they understood nobody likes a meeting that could have been done by email. Jefferson didn't want a speech to Congress because he thought it was too much like the King of England's speech from the throne and that it sent the wrong message. It did. It still does. And I shudder to think where this trend will lead, and hope it is not to a president so emboldened by our royal treatment of him that he thinks he has the right to do whatever he wants.

[Paul Anka]

Then I have an article too, where I have the right to do whatever I want.

[Bill Maher]

Yes, Trump acts like a king, but don't lay it all on him, because we have been moving in this direction for a long time. For example, the Constitution explicitly says only Congress can declare war, but we've effectively gone to war dozens of places in the last century and Congress only declared it twice. Otherwise, Congress treats President's intent to send troops to fight somewhere like a user agreement that pops up on your phone. Just click it.

[James Talarico]

Just click it you're not going to read it. And if you did, you wouldn't understand it.

[Bill Maher]

And if you did understand it, it'd still be tricking you. So just click it so you can get back to watching a TikTok of a toddler saying, motherfucker,

[Lauren Boebert]

motherfucker.

[Bill Maher]

Look, we are all collectively to blame here for allowing the very design of this country to slowly become inverted. And we would be lucky in this age of imperial presidency if some president someday didn't come right out and say, we need a dictator.

[Paul Anka]

Sometimes you need a dictator.

[James Talarico]

All right, I. I give up. I give up.

[Bill Maher]

Well, then how about this for a reason to get rid of the State of the Union. It's embarrassing. The stunt casting, the costumes, the heckling, the dick sucking when he's making his way to the stage, and worst of all, the advertising to the whole world. The state of our Union actually hopelessly divided. That's the real state of our Union. You can tell because neither party anymore can even clap for the other one, no matter how benign the statement. Here's Biden in 2023 saying political violence

[James Talarico]

has absolutely no place, no place in America.

[Bill Maher]

And here are the Republicans sitting on their hands. That's where we are. They're politicians and they can't even give it up for shooting us is bad.

[James Talarico]

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. We're off next week and back on March 6th. I want to thank State Representative James Talarico, Representative Lauren Boebert and Paul Ankit. Global random drops Every Monday on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Now go watch Overtime on YouTube if you please. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. All right, thank you, guys.

[Bill Maher]

Catch all new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher every Friday night at 10 or watch him anytime on HBO on Demand. For more information, log on to hbo.com this podcast is sponsored by Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. When you own your own business, you own every decision.

[Angus Wall]

I'm Angus, the founder of Elastic. We're the design studio that created the Game of Thrones main title. When you start a business, you're creating a world. I love that thing of like, I don't know how to do this, but I'm gonna figure it out. You have to innovate and you have to travel into the unknown. Our small world can change the big world.

[Bill Maher]

For business world builders everywhere. The business card that rewards every decision you make. Chase Sapphire reserved for business cards issued by JPMorgan Chase bank and a member FDIC. Subject credit approval terms apply.

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[James Talarico]

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