Overtime – Episode #697: Jake Tapper, Rep. Seth Moulton

Summary

Real Time with Bill Maher - Overtime Episode #697: Jake Tapper, Rep. Seth Moulton
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Hosts: Jake Tapper, Representative Seth Moulton
Podcast: HBO Podcasts - Real Time with Bill Maher

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1. Introduction

In episode #697 of Real Time with Bill Maher, hosts Jake Tapper and Representative Seth Moulton engage in a robust discussion on pressing political and social issues. The conversation delves into former President Donald Trump's controversial plans for a military parade, Supreme Court decisions affecting immigrant statuses, and the broader implications of current U.S. immigration policies.

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2. Trump's Proposed Military Parade

Timestamp: 01:05 - 03:40

The episode opens with a critical examination of Donald Trump's announced military parade intended to celebrate his birthday. The parade is reported to feature an impressive display of military might, including "28 Abrams tanks, 6,700 soldiers, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules and a dog."

• Seth Moulton's Critique:
  "He's a draft dodger. It's his first military thing that he really gets to do. But I think obviously he likes Putin, he worships Kim Jong Un. He wants to be like that. He wants to be a dictator like those guys. And they have big military parades."
  (01:41)

Moulton expresses disdain for Trump's admiration of authoritarian leaders and views the parade as a vanity project rather than a genuine military showcase.

• Unnamed Panelist's Opposition:
  "This just seems to me like if we were taking seriously the idea that our government spends too much money... this seems like it's unnecessary."
  (02:17)

The panelist underscores the financial imprudence of allocating $140 million for the parade when those funds could significantly aid veterans' services.

• Public Perception and Practical Concerns:
  Jake Tapper humorously questions the general love for parades, while addressing practical concerns like the impact of tanks on Washington D.C.'s already strained infrastructure.
  (02:31 - 02:39)

• Moulton on Veterans' Priorities:
  "We hate parades. You don't sign up for the military to be in a parade. And $140 million, that could help a lot of vets."
  (02:39 - 03:00)

Moulton emphasizes that the priorities of military personnel and veterans should focus on support and services rather than political displays.

---

3. Supreme Court Ruling on Immigrant Parole Revocation

Timestamp: 03:40 - 10:18

The conversation shifts to a significant Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to revoke legal statuses for approximately 500,000 immigrants who were granted parole for humanitarian reasons. These individuals primarily hail from countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Venezuela.

• Seth Moulton on Moral Corruption:
  "He [Trump] wants to just send them back home to that murderous regime where they'll be killed. And it's not just in Afghanistan. But that just shows how morally corrupt he is."
  (04:07 - 04:53)

Moulton condemns the decision as morally reprehensible, highlighting the risks these individuals face if deported back to hostile environments.

• Historical Context of Broken Promises:
  "It's a disgrace... same we did in Vietnam, obviously. Same happened in Korea... Remember, the Kurds?"
  (05:59 - 06:03)

The panelist draws parallels to past instances where the U.S. failed to uphold its promises to allied groups, diminishing future international support.

• Impact on Afghan Allies and Personal Stories:
  Moulton shares a poignant story about a translator from Iraq whose family faces threats if deported, underscoring the personal stakes involved.
  (05:29 - 05:53)

• Immigrants' Contributions:
  "Immigrants founded Google, eBay... they're great contributors to our economy, to our society. We are a country of immigrants."
  (06:06 - 06:27)

Moulton highlights the positive impacts of immigrants, advocating for legal pathways and condemning policies that foster illegal immigration.

• Policy Mismanagement Under Biden Administration:
  An unnamed panelist attributes the current immigration crisis to internal conflicts and mismanagement within the Biden administration, specifically citing inconsistent policy implementations.
  (06:27 - 08:00)

• State Policies and Public Backlash:
  Discussion on California's provision of services to undocumented migrants and the subsequent public backlash illustrates the tension between state-level initiatives and federal policies.
  (07:58 - 08:41)

• Healthcare as a Human Right:
  "Health care is a human right... 15 million Americans are going to lose health care because of what Trump and the Republicans are doing."
  (08:18 - 09:17)

Moulton shifts the focus to healthcare, arguing that Republican policies threaten access for millions of Americans, emphasizing the interconnectedness of immigration and healthcare debates.

• Motivations Behind Immigration Policies:
  The panel discusses whether Republican actions are intentionally aimed at political gain by supporting anti-immigration sentiments to benefit their electoral prospects.
  (09:35 - 09:46)

• Defending Progressive Intentions:
  The unnamed panelist suggests that many progressives genuinely believe in providing refuge, even if policy implementation is flawed.
  (09:46 - 10:18)

Moulton reiterates the importance of legal immigration pathways, advocating for reforms that prevent incentives for illegal entry while recognizing the essential role of immigrants in society.

---

4. Trump's Golden Dome Proposal and Final Remarks

Timestamp: 10:18 - 12:14

The episode concludes with a satirical take on Trump's announcement regarding his "Golden Dome," a play on Israel's successful Iron Dome missile defense system.

• Satirical Proposal by Jake Tapper:
  "He offered Canada this deal. Join as the 51st state and you'll get the Golden Dome free... or it's going to cost $61 billion."
  (10:54 - 11:49)

This segment uses humor to critique Trump's over-the-top defense initiatives and political strategies.

• Panel's Response to the Satire:
  "We have a problem with terminology here because Israel also just unveiled what they call the Iron Beam..."
  (11:49 - 12:14)

The panel engages with the satire, highlighting the absurdity of conflating different defense technologies and the broader implications of Trump's rhetoric.

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5. Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Jake Tapper and Representative Seth Moulton provide incisive commentary on contemporary political issues, blending serious policy discussions with moments of levity. The dialogue underscores the complexities of U.S. immigration policy, the ethical considerations of leadership actions, and the enduring impact of political decisions on both national and international stages.

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Notable Quotes:

• Seth Moulton on Trump's Admiration for Dictators:
  "He wants to be like that. He wants to be a dictator like those guys."
  (01:41)

• On Military Spending Priorities:
  "You don't sign up for the military to be in a parade. And $140 million, that could help a lot of vets."
  (02:39 - 03:00)

• Regarding Immigrants’ Contributions:
  "Immigrants founded Google, eBay... We are a country of immigrants."
  (06:06 - 06:27)

• On Healthcare and Political Agendas:
  "Health care is a human right... 15 million Americans are going to lose health care because of what Trump and the Republicans are doing."
  (08:18 - 09:17)

• Satirical Take on Trump's Golden Dome:
  "Join as the 51st state and you'll get the Golden Dome free... or it's going to cost $61 billion."
  (10:54 - 11:49)

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights shared by Jake Tapper and Representative Seth Moulton, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of the episode's critical themes and viewpoints.

Transcript

[Bill Maher]

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[Kaley Cuoco]

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[Bill Maher]

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[Kaley Cuoco]

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

[Jake Tapper]

All right, here we are on overtime with the anchor of CNN's the Lead with Jake Tapper and co author of the new book Original Sin, Jake Tapper and a Democratic congressman from Massachusetts, Seth Moulton. All right, first one is for you, Congressman. As a veteran, what is your reaction to Trump's plans for a military parade next month, which will reportedly include 28 Abrams tanks, 6700 soldiers, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules and a dog? That's what it says. But he is having his military parade for his birthday.

[Seth Moulton]

Well, it's, you know, he's a draft dodger. It's his first military thing that he really gets to do. But I think obviously he likes Putin, he worships Kim Jong Un. He wants to be like that. That's what he wants to do. He wants to be a dictator like those guys. And they have big military parades.

[Unnamed Panelist]

I mean, it just seems to me like if we were taking seriously the idea that our government spends too much money, that Doge comes in there and like says, okay, we need to cut 80,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans affairs and we're going to get rid of USAID and we're going to do this and do that. I mean, this seems like it's unnecessary.

[Seth Moulton]

You could help.

[Jake Tapper]

I guess, sort of like the, I mean, to me the worst part of it is getting used to the sight of tanks in the streets. That is something we don't see in America.

[Unnamed Panelist]

By the way, as a driver in Washington, D.C. like our roads are bad enough before. Before the tanks go. Like, that's.

[Seth Moulton]

Let me also be clear about something, that if, you know, you didn't or you might not know that we hate parades. Like, you do not want us. You don't sign up for the military to be in a parade. And $140 million, that could help a lot of vets.

[Unnamed Panelist]

It's a lot of money. I mean, that's. You know, honestly, like, I. If we take them at their word that Doge is about. We. You know, our deficits are too big, the national debt is a disaster. We need to get control of spending. If we take that seriously. This just doesn't make any sense. There's literally nobody in the military community who wants this.

[Jake Tapper]

Why don't you guys like parades? Because I thought everybody loved a parade. I guess you gotta march because you gotta march.

[Seth Moulton]

Yeah, I didn't sign up to march. It's not my thing.

[Jake Tapper]

I'm with you, Goose step.

[Seth Moulton]

Or not. Yeah, that's probably what he's looking for.

[Jake Tapper]

What does the panel think of the Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration can revoke legal status for 500,000 immigrants who had been granted parole for human parole? That's a strange word for that. For humanitarian reasons. What they're talking about is 500,000 people that the Biden administration let in from, I think, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Afghanistan and Venezuela.

[Seth Moulton]

Well, but also from Afghanistan, for people who risked their lives not just for Afghanistan, but for the United States of America who served. I would not be here today if not for the translators that I had in Iraq. I'm sure they saved our lives more than once. And that's why veterans are so pissed off about this, because we've fought like hell to get them out of Afghanistan, and now Trump wants to just send them back home to that murderous regime where they'll be killed. And it's not just in Afghanistan. But that just shows how morally corrupt he is. And now, look, let's be honest. He's a racist. He doesn't like black or brown people coming into the United States. White Africaners, sure, roll out the red carpet, but black or brown people? Nope. Not allowed.

[Unnamed Panelist]

The way that the US has treated the Afghan allies, not just now, but also right after the collapse of Kabul in August 2021. It's not just a disgrace, and it's not just a violation of a promise that was made to these people. It's also bad thinking, because we will be less likely as a country next time we have one of these forays into Foreign policy abroad. We'll be less likely to have people who will help us in whatever country it is because they will know that we didn't honor our promises last time.

[Seth Moulton]

I remember one of these conversations really well where my translator showed up for work and he said, I can't work for you anymore. My family's been threatened. They're going to kill everybody at home. And I had to make the case to him that we're the United States of America. We've got your back. And he bravely kept working for us, and I fought like hell to get him to America. Now my family's worried he might get sent back.

[Jake Tapper]

Right. Well, we don't have a great history of sticking by our promises.

[Unnamed Panelist]

No. Same happened in Vietnam, obviously. Same happened in Korea.

[Jake Tapper]

And the Kurds.

[Unnamed Panelist]

Yep.

[Jake Tapper]

Remember, the Kurds promised them a lot. Yeah.

[Seth Moulton]

Yeah. Although, to be fair, we took in a lot of Vietnamese refugees. And yes, they're around Northern Virginia today. And they're great contributors to our society. I mean, let's also not forget what immigrants do. I mean, immigrants founded Google, ebay. Right. I mean, they're great contributors to our economy, to our society. We are a country of immigrants. Right.

[Unnamed Panelist]

I think five of our top ten. But Runway immigrants.

[Jake Tapper]

Biden let it go too far. This is a backlash to that. We had an open border policy that is okay. But you would admit that that's where this feeling comes from. Of course it's carried out in a horrible way, but that's where if you do something, there's always going to be a counter to it.

[Seth Moulton]

I think there's a bit of just racism baked in Trump's thing.

[Jake Tapper]

There absolutely is.

[Seth Moulton]

Democrats.

[Jake Tapper]

There was also an open border policy. It seemed like under the Biden administration.

[Seth Moulton]

And we couldn't admit it was a.

[Unnamed Panelist]

Problem, but can I.

[Jake Tapper]

And the Democrats.

[Seth Moulton]

Okay, yes.

[Unnamed Panelist]

Well, I don't. I think you're complimenting it by calling it a policy. Just not, not, not to talk about my book again, but one of the things we discovered when we did this book, original sin, me and Alex Thompson is there. There's a senator, Senator Bennett from Colorado, who went to an event in June 2024 where Biden seemed non functioning. And he left that event. And this is in the book thinking, this is why our, our border policy, our immigration policy is such a mess. This guy can't manage the portfolio. There are competing groups within the administration and he's not engaged for whatever reason. And that's why this policy is such a mess. And I know that the secretary of the department of Homeland Security. Mayorkas he thought there was going to be an order early on in the Biden years shutting down the border or at least providing more security, and the order never came. So people talk about what are the repercussions of Biden not being what we expect a president to be, just in terms of functioning 100% of the time. This is one of those things. So I think calling it a policy might be a little optimistic.

[Jake Tapper]

Honestly, it's not just Biden. I mean, I mentioned this during the show that our governor here recently reversed one of the policies we had here, which was free medical care to undocumented migrants, which pissed off a lot of people who think that that shouldn't be happening, that, you know, we should take care of our own, and that's why our taxes are so high. And, you know, it was a rather generous policy you got as someone who wasn't even a legal citizen, including, like, being driven to appointments, I think I read now. I mean, if that's something that a state like California, which is right on the border of Mexico, is offering, can you blame people for pouring over?

[Unnamed Panelist]

I love all these changes that Newsom's doing, the conversion on the road to Des Moines.

[Jake Tapper]

Somebody's got to do it. I mean, this is what we were talking about.

[Seth Moulton]

Look, I'm a Democrat who believes that health care is a human right. But the bottom line is there are a lot of Americans who don't have health care, and it's about to get a lot worse because of the bill that Republicans just passed in the middle of the night. 15 million Americans, not illegal immigrants. 15 million Americans who are going to lose health care because of what Trump and the Republicans are doing. So we've got to keep that context in mind. But the reason why people are pissed off is because a lot of people don't have good enough health care in America today.

[Jake Tapper]

But what the Republicans would say, what some people would call a conspiracy theory, and what they would just say is just their theory is that it wasn't a mistake, that the border was left open. They think that the people who come will vote eventually for the Democrats. And that was a. That was their plan.

[Seth Moulton]

Yeah. At the same time as they. Trump goes around telling everyone that all the Mexican immigrants, all the black people, they all voted for me this time. So it doesn't matter if you're consistent here. They're just trying to, you know, scapegoat people.

[Unnamed Panelist]

I think there's a much more innocent explanation, which is there are a lot of people, a lot of Progressives who think that the United States should be a refuge for anybody who wants to come here and build a better life. I mean, it can be, well meaning, if even a mistake. I'm not saying it's the right policy, but I don't necessarily think it was a nefarious intent. I think they think this is a much better country to live in than.

[Jake Tapper]

Oh, it is. Yeah. But if you took everyone who actually wanted to come there, you would double the population.

[Unnamed Panelist]

Not my policy, but I'm just saying.

[Seth Moulton]

And the policy shouldn't incentivize legal immigration.

[Jake Tapper]

Right?

[Seth Moulton]

Right. Not illegal immigration. When I was talking about my translator who lived in my hometown, I was on my fourth deployment to Iraq and he was living in my bedroom back home, ironically. And he was fighting through the legal process to get qualified to become a citizen, which he did, and he's a citizen today. But along the way, someone told him, you know, you ought to just go to Mexico and walk over. That's the problem. When people think you can do that and get away with it, it doesn't. Immigration is great. It's been essential to our society. None of us would be here today without our immigrant ancestors. But let's make it legal.

[Jake Tapper]

Let me ask you one last question. As a person with military background, I saw in the paper today Trump is talking about his Golden Dome. You know, Israel has the Iron Dome to show shoot down missiles and has been a tremendous success over there. He of course, wants to up that to a golden dome. I mean, what's the golden version of it? Very hard, very hard to parody this guy. He, he beats you to it every time. It's a, it's a golden dome, okay? He offered Canada this deal. Join as the 51st state and you'll get the Golden Dome free. The Golden Dome will cover you too. Otherwise it's going to cost 61 billion. If you want coverage of the Golden Dome for Canada to, I mean, we could do it, but it's going to cost $61 billion. Or you can join as the 51st date and get it for free. Your choice. And we will throw in the undercover.

[Seth Moulton]

I mean, what is your, we have a problem with terminology here because Israel also just unveiled what they call the Iron Beam. And part of the Golden Dome is shooting things from space. But we also want the Iron Beam or the Golden Dome shooting things up. So we're trying to decide how do you distingu the Golden Beam here from the Golden Beam there? And I think we should call the one coming down the Golden Shower. And then that's probably something that Trump would like even more.

[Jake Tapper]

All right. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. We're not going to tap that. All right.

[Kaley Cuoco]

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.