Overtime – Episode #677: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Tim Miller, Michael Moynihan

Summary

Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – Episode #677 Summary

Episode Details:

• Title: Overtime – Episode #677: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Tim Miller, Michael Moynihan
• Host: Bill Maher
• Guests: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Tim Miller, Michael Marnie
• Release Date: November 5, 2024

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1. Election Denialism and Steve Bannon’s Influence

Timestamp: 01:02 – 02:34

Bill Maher opens the episode by addressing a critical question from viewers: “If Trump loses, do you think Steve Bannon will lead election denial efforts?” (01:02). Michael Marnie responds by sharing his past interaction with Bannon, recalling an interview from 2020 where Bannon confidently predicted Trump would deny the election results regardless of the outcome (01:34).

Maher succinctly captures the persistent nature of election denialism: “There's only ever two outcomes with them. Either we won or it was rigged.” (01:52). Tim Miller concurs, highlighting the entrenched mindset within this faction (01:58).

Rep. Jamie Raskin adds, “Somebody's going to try to take his place,” emphasizing the likelihood that election denial efforts will continue beyond Trump’s influence (02:19). The conversation underscores the deep-rooted challenges in combating misinformation and entrenched political narratives.

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2. Elon Musk, Geopolitical Ties, and National Security Concerns

Timestamp: 02:57 – 05:11

The discussion shifts to the geopolitical landscape, particularly focusing on Elon Musk’s interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and financier George Soros’s relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Tim Miller articulates his concerns: “Elon Musk is the biggest donor to Trump... he's also a government defense contractor... talking to Putin and Xi.” (03:17). He criticizes Musk for allegedly coordinating with geopolitical adversaries, describing it as “an absolutely insane scandal.” (03:59).

Rep. Jamie Raskin highlights the burgeoning alliance between Russia and China, noting their collaboration with North Korea in the Ukraine invasion (03:59). Michael Marnie reflects on Musk’s inconsistent support for Ukraine, initially providing Starlink satellites but later restricting their use, which he attributes to Musk’s fluctuating stance and personal influence (04:24).

The guests express concern over the implications of such relationships on national security and the integrity of international alliances, questioning the motives and accountability of high-profile figures like Musk and Soros.

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3. Donald Trump’s Remarks on Liz Cheney and Media Representation

Timestamp: 05:11 – 07:52

A contentious topic arises when Maher cites a headline claiming Trump called for a "firing squad for Liz Cheney" (05:11). This prompts a heated exchange about media accuracy. Maher clarifies, “No, he didn't,” and criticizes the media for misrepresenting Trump’s statements (05:23).

Rep. Jamie Raskin accuses the media of distorting Trump’s rhetoric, stating, “There's been a lot of violence, as Nancy Pelosi knows, and a lot of threats, you know, and on both sides.” (07:41). Michael Marnie echoes these sentiments, highlighting the dangers of sensationalist reporting: “Donald Trump had said that Kamala Harris should be executed... which is not typically something you do to someone.” (07:24).

Maher vehemently disputes the mischaracterization, emphasizing the importance of factual reporting and warning against the harmful consequences of spreading false narratives. The discussion underscores the polarized media landscape and its impact on public perception of political figures.

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4. JD Vance’s Comments on Transgender Teens and Elite Colleges

Timestamp: 08:40 – 09:52

The conversation shifts to cultural and social issues as Maher brings up JD Vance’s controversial statement: “Teens are purposely becoming trans to get into elite colleges.” (08:40). Michael Marnie challenges this assertion, expressing skepticism about the motivations behind teens identifying as transgender and suggesting that elite colleges may indeed be more welcoming to transgender individuals (08:50).

Tim Miller probes further into Vance’s political strategies, questioning the implications of his statements on the White House policies should he join the administration (09:16). The guests critique Vance’s approach, arguing that such rhetoric is divisive and misrepresents the realities of gender identity among youth.

Rep. Jamie Raskin emphasizes the importance of understanding and compassion over sensationalist political tactics, highlighting the need for informed discourse on transgender issues rather than unfounded claims (09:52).

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Bill Maher and his guests engage in robust discussions on pressing political and social issues, including election denialism, geopolitical tensions, media integrity, and transgender rights. The dialogue reflects a deep concern for the state of American politics, the influence of powerful individuals, and the role of media in shaping public opinion. Notable quotes and insightful analysis provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing the nation, offering listeners a nuanced perspective on complex topics.

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Notable Quotes:

• “There's only ever two outcomes with them. Either we won or it was rigged.” – Bill Maher (01:52)
• “Somebody's going to try to take his place.” – Rep. Jamie Raskin (02:19)
• “It's an absolutely insane scandal that I feel like people are like, well, yeah, we know that's happening.” – Tim Miller (03:59)
• “No, he didn't.” – Bill Maher (05:23)
• “Donald Trump had said that Kamala Harris should be executed.” – Michael Marnie (07:24)
• “Teens are purposely becoming trans to get into elite colleges.” – JD Vance (Referenced by Bill Maher) (08:40)

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Final Thoughts:

This episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" delves into the enduring impact of Trump-era politics, the intricate web of global alliances, the challenges of media integrity, and the complexities surrounding transgender rights in contemporary society. Through candid conversations and critical analysis, the show offers viewers a thought-provoking examination of the forces shaping America’s present and future.

Transcript

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[Bill Maher]

Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late night series Real Time with Bill Maher. That's it? Nobody else? Not Tim and Michael. All right, Tim Miller and Michael Marnie are here. I guess. I guess this got stuck. Or the prompter guy just died. All right, here are the questions from people. If Trump loses, do you think Steve. Steve Bannon will lead election denial efforts? No kidding. Now that he has been released from prison. He would have done it from prison.

[Michael Marnie]

Yeah. I talked to Steve Bannon. I interviewed him in 2020, and he told me a month before the election that they were going to deny the results a full month before. He told me that in an interview that we're going like, there's no way Trump is going to concede. And I don't suspect he'll do that again.

[Bill Maher]

There's only ever two outcomes with them. Either we won.

[Michael Marnie]

Correct.

[Bill Maher]

Or it was rigged.

[Tim Miller]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

I can't believe it. Yeah. I mean, we've been living with this for 10 years. I don't know if it's going to. If Trump went away tomorrow, would that end? I don't think so. I think another person in the public party would pick up that mantle, don't you think? I don't think there's anything going back from that.

[Michael Marnie]

No.

[Jamie]

I don't think so either.

[Bill Maher]

Okay.

[Jamie]

Somebody's going to try to take his place. But what's interesting is that in 2020, Bannon and the inner coterie were all emphatic that Trump was going to declare victory even if he lost. And they were explicit about it. They were saying, regardless of whether or not he wins, he will declare victory.

[Tim Miller]

Can I give you one happy thought, though, on this?

[Michael Marnie]

Yes, I agree.

[Tim Miller]

I agree that they'll try in the future, but, like, it is really Hard to imagine, like a mob of people storming the Capitol waving J.D. vance flags. You know what I mean? Like, there will still be election denialism, but, like, Trump's unique charisma is important and like, removing his from the process is a good, positive step.

[Bill Maher]

Okay. What would the public reaction be if instead of Elon talking to Putin. Yes. We found out that Elon Musk does talk to Putin. We learned that George Soros had a secret relationship with Chinese President Xi. Well, good question.

[Tim Miller]

The Elon thing is actually. It's insane to me that it isn't like, wall to wall. There's no precedent for the situation we have. He's the biggest donor to Trump. He is, if not the biggest, one of the biggest government defense contractors. Yeah. Recipients of government contracts. He's talking to Putin. Apparently during one of the talks with Putin, Putin asked him to do a favor for him, for Xi. So she is involved in this, like, about not giving Starlinks to Taiwan or something like that during the conversation. So, like, the Soros example isn't really apt at all because he's on top of Soros, he's also a government contractor and he's also coordinating with our geopolitical foes. It's an absolutely insane scandal that I feel like people. People are like, well, yeah, we know that's happening.

[Jamie]

Well, Russia and China are close allies now, and we've got North Korean troops that have joined the bloody Russian invasion of Ukraine. So there is like this axis of autocratic powers that have gotten together, and yet we've got Donald Trump and Elon Musk in frequent, often daily contact with them.

[Michael Marnie]

It was a freak. It was a very fast descent to. I mean, at the beginning of the Ukraine war, Elon Musk provided Starlinks for Ukraine.

[Tim Miller]

Right.

[Michael Marnie]

And then said at some point that they would prevent Starlinks from working in certain areas of Ukraine because the Ukrainians were using them for offensive purposes. And, you know, I was on this stage when he was here being interviewed, and he was. This was a year and a half, two years ago, and it just seemed like a different person today. I saw that he's posting videos on Twitter, on X of people trying to vote for Donald Trump and it making it a Harris vote. I mean, these are obvious nonsense videos, but this is being spread by the person who owns the platform, is the richest man in the world and has how many, you know, hundreds of millions of followers. It's depressing.

[Bill Maher]

What do you make of the statement? I woke up today to the headline that Trump had called for A firing squad for Liz Cheney. And this is what I really don't like about the media. No, he didn't.

[Michael Marnie]

He did not.

[Bill Maher]

You don't have to move me to not like Donald Trump.

[Michael Marnie]

He says so many shitty things. Why do you have to move?

[Bill Maher]

And by the way, if people don't realize it, well, here's what he said. He's criticizing him for being a war hawk. I mean, she is Dick Cheney's daughter. He said, she's a radical warhawk. Let's put her with a rifle, standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. Okay. Let's see how she feels about it. You know, they're all war hawks when they're sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, oh, gee, we'll send ten, tens of thousands of troops right into the mouth of the enemy. Now, of course, he expresses himself horribly. He has to add, she's a stupid person, because he's a mortal moron.

[Jamie]

Knows what it's really like from Vietnam.

[Bill Maher]

Okay, but just to be clear, this is exactly what hippies always said. This is exactly what peace dicks always said. This is fortunate son, the song. It's like, you know what? It's very easy to sit in your building and send young men to die. Apropos of Ukraine.

[Michael Marnie]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

Because I don't know that war doesn't look like it's going in the right direction.

[Michael Marnie]

Not at all now.

[Bill Maher]

But just so you know, just don't lie to me. I don't like Donald Trump. Don't lie to me and tell me she was he wants in front of a firing code. He was saying something that, by the way, if it came out of the mouth, some of it. Not the stupid part again. Sounds like what hippies used to say about not sending people to.

[Jamie]

Yes, I agree with you on the lying. I mean, that is ridiculous and absurd and counterproductive. But when did Donald Trump ever criticize a war hawk the way a hippie did? I mean, was it during Vietnam? He got out of going to Vietnam, but he didn't criticize the war there.

[Bill Maher]

Jamie, I'm not defending Trump.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Bill Maher]

I'm just saying don't lie to me.

[Jamie]

I agree with that. I mean, that's just a distortion.

[Michael Marnie]

It's counterproductive. I mean, the number of Trump people you talk to who talk about the media and giving them any ammunition like this, I mean, I saw headlines, chyrons, on television this morning saying that Donald Trump had said that Kamala Harris should be executed. I mean, at the beginning of that kind of rambling, incoherent thing should give her a weapon, which is not typically something you do to someone.

[Bill Maher]

And again, the spirit of it is something that if someone with the blue hat said it, people would noddle along on the left. Yes, exactly.

[Michael Marnie]

There's plenty of things he says you don't have to invent.

[Jamie]

Can I just say one thing? And I agree with you all of all those criticisms are fair. But there's been a lot of violence, as Nancy Pelosi knows, and a lot of threats, you know, and on both.

[Tim Miller]

Sides there's nine guns in somebody's face. It just still is not something you really want.

[Bill Maher]

A president say, of course he's horrible, but you know, half the country is like, that's the way we all talk. We don't witch or we don't watch our peas in the office.

[Tim Miller]

I also get a little annoyed about the media, the concert media, critical of the mainstream media. This is a fair criticism, but it's like it's coming oftentimes from people who are like frequent viewers of the Jesse Waters show or whatever. You know what I mean? There's a whole right wing MAGA. It's not 1984. Right. Where there are only three networks. And if they're a little biased and if they're biased, if Dan Rather is telling you something that's wrong, that's like a really big deal that he's biased because 60 million people are watching Dan Rather. It's like as many people are watching daytime MSNBC as are watching primetime Newsmax. Right? So it's like, you know what I mean? So obsessing over there. Right? Obsessing over the criticism of it I sometimes think is a little overkill.

[Bill Maher]

So JD Vance said teens are becoming. Teens are purposely becoming trans to get into elite colleges.

[Michael Marnie]

What's that?

[Bill Maher]

Well, it is. I don't think that's. I don't think that's why teens are becoming trans. But wow, just to throw it all on the table, I'm not so sure that elite colleges don't want trans possibly more than they want people who are not trans. I mean, that's just where the far left is. But I don't think they're purposely doing that. He also said that he wouldn't be.

[Tim Miller]

What's his plan for the White House on that interview?

[Bill Maher]

I have no idea.

[Tim Miller]

What's the Trump Vance administration gonna do?

[Jamie]

One case of that?

[Michael Marnie]

Of course not.

[Bill Maher]

But he said JD Vance said he wouldn't be surprised if he and Donald Trump get the normal gay guy vote.

[Michael Marnie]

You know, Tim, you wanna take the damn.

[Bill Maher]

Yeah, you know, guys who fuck women? No, the normal gay guys.

[Tim Miller]

I think what J.D. vance means by the normal gay guy vote is the guy has a blank profile on Grindr. Who's messaging. Who's messaging actual out gay guys. I think that probably is a Trump supporter.

[Bill Maher]

All right, I gotta go to Vegas. Thank you, everybody. I appreciate it. 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.

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