Overtime – Episode #702: Dr. Phil & Stephen A. Smith

Summary

Real Time with Bill Maher
Episode #702: Dr. Phil & Stephen A. Smith
Release Date: August 12, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode #702 of Real Time with Bill Maher, host Bill Maher engages in a dynamic discussion with guests Dr. Phil McGraw and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. The conversation spans a variety of contemporary topics, including political maneuvers within the Republican Party, the implications of artificial intelligence in mental health, educational policies, gender dynamics in sports, and futuristic governmental projects.

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1. The Future of Donald Trump and Republican Party Dynamics

Timestamp: 01:05 - 03:07

The episode opens with an intense debate about former President Donald Trump's potential political trajectory. Dr. Phil expresses skepticism about Trump's likelihood to run in the 2028 presidential election. He draws a parallel between Trump and former Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Trump may adopt a similar strategy to maintain influence without holding office directly.

• Dr. Phil: "Trump can control this country the way he does now through social media [...] All he has to do is get on Truth Social and tear him a new asshole and the policy will change." (02:00)

Andrew Sullivan supports this viewpoint, emphasizing Trump's unparalleled popularity within the Republican Party and his ability to dictate the party's direction.

• Andrew Sullivan: "His popularity is so exponentially higher than everybody else within the Republican Party that the level of control [...] he wants to maintain control over the party." (02:27)

Stephen A. Smith concurs, acknowledging that prominent Republican figures like Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance lack the influence to counter Trump's dominance.

• Stephen A. Smith: "They're not." (02:31)

This section highlights concerns about the Republican Party's ability to move forward without Trump's overshadowing presence, suggesting a potential stagnation in party leadership and policy-making.

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2. The Role of AI in Mental Health and Therapy

Timestamp: 03:07 - 07:29

The conversation shifts to the increasing reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) for therapeutic purposes. Dr. Phil raises concerns about people turning to AI chatbots for mental health support instead of seeking licensed professionals.

• Dr. Phil: "What do you think of more people turning to AI for therapy instead of seeking out licensed professionals?" (03:07)

Elon Musk weighs in, acknowledging both the potential benefits and significant dangers of AI in mental health care. He points out that while AI can offer fundamental advice for conditions like anxiety or depression, it lacks the ability to detect critical emotional cues, which can lead to inappropriate or harmful responses.

• Elon Musk: "I think it's really dangerous [...] It can't pick those things up and it will miss those red flags." (05:07)

Andrew Sullivan adds that reliance on AI may lead to increased social isolation and exacerbate mental health issues, as human interaction is diminished.

• Andrew Sullivan: "It's less human interaction as a human being. It sort of isolates you, serves to isolate you a little bit more." (05:44)

Dr. Phil underscores the current limitations of AI, citing instances where AI provided biased or incorrect information, thereby emphasizing the necessity for human oversight.

• Dr. Phil: "It will give you biased answers [...] lawyers that relied on it to brief a case and it totally made up cases." (05:58)

This segment underscores the precarious balance between leveraging AI for mental health support and ensuring that it does not replace essential human-led therapy, highlighting the current shortcomings and ethical considerations.

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3. Texas Mandate: The Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

Timestamp: 08:42 - 11:15

A controversial topic arises with the discussion of Texas's new policy requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. Dr. Phil criticizes the move, arguing that the list is outdated and selectively censorious.

• Dr. Phil: "It's a dumb list. There's only two things on it that are laws. Don't steal and don't kill." (09:24)

Elon Musk provides a nuanced perspective, differentiating between making the commandments available for children to see and forcefully imposing them.

• Elon Musk: "Having something available for kids to see is one thing. Pounding it down their throats is another thing." (08:57)

Andrew Sullivan offers a middle ground, acknowledging the moral teachings embedded in the commandments while recognizing potential issues with selective enforcement.

• Andrew Sullivan: "But it's good to have it in there. I mean, it's not a bad thing to say. Thou shalt not kill." (10:06)

The discussion highlights the tension between religious education and the secular framework of public schools, questioning the effectiveness and appropriateness of such mandates in modern educational settings.

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4. Controversial Marketing in the WNBA: Dildos at Games

Timestamp: 11:51 - 14:35

Dr. Phil introduces a segment on a crypto group's provocative marketing strategy involving the distribution of green dildos at WNBA games. The conversation delves into whether this tactic is merely edgy marketing or indicative of deeper sexist attitudes towards women's sports.

• Dr. Phil: "They’re throwing green sex toys on the court. Is this just edgy marketing, or does it reflect a sexist attitude towards women's sports?" (11:51)

Andrew Sullivan attributes the act to both edgy marketing and underlying sexist motives, suggesting it maligns the athletes and trivializes their sport.

• Andrew Sullivan: "It just shows some people's definition of happiness is bringing you and lowering you to the level of misery." (13:22)

Elon Musk questions the intent behind the choice of color and the object itself, pondering whether the issue lies in the symbolism or the act itself.

• Elon Musk: "Is your problem that they're green or that they're just throwing a dildo on?" (12:15)

Stephen A. Smith adds frustration over the lack of understanding behind the gesture, emphasizing the disconnect between the marketers and the audience.

• Stephen A. Smith: "I don’t even get it. Is it saying, we don’t respect women's sports?" (12:31)

The panel agrees that such actions can be perceived as disrespectful and undermine the professionalism of women's sports, reflecting broader societal issues related to gender and respect in athletics.

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5. The Trump Administration’s Lunar Nuclear Reactor Proposal

Timestamp: 14:14 - 14:45

In a lighter, yet still critical note, Dr. Phil brings up the Trump administration's announcement of constructing a nuclear reactor on the moon. The guests offer their takes on this ambitious and unconventional initiative.

• Dr. Phil: "They're going to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Your thoughts about the nuclear reactor on the moon?" (14:14)

Elon Musk humorously opposes the idea, citing safety and practicality concerns.

• Elon Musk: "Well, I'd rather have it there than in my neighborhood." (14:26)

Stephen A. Smith adds to the skepticism, questioning the necessity and feasibility of such a project.

• Stephen A. Smith: "Not on my planet." (14:30)

Andrew Sullivan succinctly criticizes the proposal as another instance of governmental misallocation of resources.

• Andrew Sullivan: "Invent new ways to spend money." (14:39)

The brief exchange underscores the panel's skepticism towards extravagant and potentially impractical governmental projects, emphasizing the need for more grounded and beneficial initiatives.

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Conclusion

Episode #702 of Real Time with Bill Maher offers a robust discussion on pressing societal issues, blending political analysis with cultural critiques. From the enduring influence of Donald Trump within the Republican Party to the ethical implications of AI in mental health, the conversation provides listeners with diverse perspectives aimed at fostering informed discourse. The guests collectively challenge prevailing narratives, urging a critical examination of policies and societal trends that shape contemporary America.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Phil: "It will give you biased answers [...] lawyers that relied on it to brief a case and it totally made up cases." (05:58)

• Andrew Sullivan: "They know that, which is why they capitulate to his every whim." (02:30)

• Elon Musk: "I think it's really dangerous [...] It can't pick those things up and it will miss those red flags." (05:07)

• Dr. Phil: "It's a dumb list. There's only two things on it that are laws. Don't steal and don't kill." (09:24)

• Stephen A. Smith: "Not on my planet." (14:30)

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from Episode #702, providing a coherent overview for those who have yet to listen.

Transcript

[Bill Maher]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

All right. He is the founder of Envoy Media and podcast host Dr. Phil and he's the host of ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith and the next President of the United no, I'm telling you, it's.

[Dr. Phil]

Going to all start up again on Monday. You're going to see.

[Andrew Sullivan]

It is what it is.

[Dr. Phil]

It is what it is and we will see. Okay. Trump says he probably won't run in 2028. It's patently illegal, but he probably. Can we take him at his word? No. I mean, I actually don't think he's going to run. I've been saying this and I see Andrew Sullivan wrote about it today. He's going to do what Putin did with Medvedev. Medvedev was his, whatever, prime minister. They switched jobs and he was really the president while Putin pretended he wasn't. And that's what Trump is going to do. And Trump can control this country the way he does now through social media if President Vance or President Rubio doesn't do something he likes. All he has to do is get on Truth Social and tear him a new asshole and the policy will change.

[Andrew Sullivan]

I don't think it's. Listen, he can do that. He can choose to do it that way. But the fact is his popularity is so exponentially higher than everybody else within the Republican Party that the level of control, like you said, he can sit up there and step away, but he wants to maintain control over the party. He wants to make sure that there are people out there doing his bidding, that of his family, that of his interest, whatever that may be. And there is nobody within the GOP that can stop him.

[Dr. Phil]

No.

[Andrew Sullivan]

Who is it? Is it going to be Marco Rubio? No. Is it going to be J.D. vance?

[Dr. Phil]

No, no, no.

[Stephen A. Smith]

They're not.

[Andrew Sullivan]

You know What I mean, is it going to be Lindsey Graham? No, nobody's going to stop him. They're going to capitulate and go right along because he knows how to feed the beast himself. He's about quid pro quo. So he's one of those guys that if you do for him, he'll make sure to try to take care of you as well. They know that, which is why they capitulate to his every whim.

[Elon Musk]

Could be a family member.

[Andrew Sullivan]

That's right. I just brought up Don Jr. Yeah.

[Elon Musk]

He could be a family member now.

[Dr. Phil]

I don't think he trusts his own kid.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't. That's the way fathers like that are. They just are probably.

[Dr. Phil]

Dr. Phil. What do you think of more people turning to AI for therapy instead of seeking out licensed professionals?

[Elon Musk]

I think it's really dangerous, but I think, look, less than half of the counties in the United States even have a psychiatric nurse or some kind of resource and you know, for some, some elementary sort of things and giving people fundamental advice for anxiety or depression, it can probably do some good. There could probably be some value in it. But it is really a dangerous thing. And I've argued with it. You were saying it always tells you what you want to hear. But I asked a question the other day, I said, tell me what you know about trigger warnings, which are complete bullshit. And it gave me all of this left leaning stuff about trigger warnings, about how they help with this and help with that. And I said, well, I argued with it. I said, wait a minute, how can you completely leave out all of the empirical data that says they don't work, they create anxiety themselves, that you should instead do things like systematic desensitization, immersion therapy, things of that nature. And it came back and said, oh, you're right, I'm sorry, here's that research, here's that data. And it gave me all of that. So it will give you biased answers, it will give you what it thinks you want to hear. And there have been lawyers that relied on it to brief a case and it totally made up cases and they got fined by the court and referred for malpractice to the bar because they relied on AI and it totally fabricated stuff. So we can't completely rely on this at this point. It may find the needle in the haystack, but you've got to check the needle. It finds. It can save you the hunt, but you got to check it. We're not there yet.

[Andrew Sullivan]

Here's the thing for me, this kids listen the hell out of me. So if you talk into a phone, you talk chatgpt, whatever it is or whatever AI component you want to think of and you're talking to that stuff and that's what you're relying upon. It's less human interaction as a human being. It sort of isolates you, serves to isolate you a little bit more. And those are usually the crazy ass people that we end up seeing in this world. People that were home alone, detached from society and its norms, et cetera, et cetera, creating their own kind of normal. And it's usually working to the day to the detriment of our society. That kind of stuff just scares me.

[Dr. Phil]

It's fucked up. The whole thing is fucked up. You're both being too gentle on it. I read today Google's AI has a depression problem.

[Andrew Sullivan]

I'm not kidding, I didn't read that.

[Dr. Phil]

It says I'm a failure. It gets down on itself. Also people, this is really bad. People turn to AI now to the chatbot for an opinion. Somebody the other day asked it, what's Bill Maher's best stand up special? It picked wrong.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Don't go to it for an opinion. And I know why it did.

[Dr. Phil]

Because it picked because it's programmed by left wingers. That's the truth. Most of it is. It picked one from 2005. This is before the left had gone off the deep end. This is George Bush was President Obama was about to run. There was nothing very much to make fun of on the left. They hadn't gone crazy yet, woke, hadn't happened yet. All that excess stuff, all the Gen Z crazy stuff, none of that. So most of my criticism was against the Republicans. Most of it still is, by the way.

[Andrew Sullivan]

They wouldn't portray you that way, which is ridiculous.

[Dr. Phil]

Okay, but Also it was 2005, we were 10 years away from gay marriage. The end of that special was all about championing that we need gay marriage. The chatbot was like, oh, this is the great stuff. It's not my best special. That would be the last one and the one before that and the one before that. They get better every time. It wasn't 2005. So it's very dangerous, I think, to ever think that this thing has an opinion that you should go by.

[Andrew Sullivan]

I also think it's dangerous to the left because of what you just said. Yeah, because it's created by them. And it's the kind of thing people like yourself and others may notice. And as a result we see the level of manipulation that has kicked in and it makes, it gets Us very alarmed because you can't point to the right and say they're doing this. They're engaging in manipulation and what have you. When you're doing it yourself, you come across as a flaming hypocrite.

[Dr. Phil]

Whoever programmed it, I mean, Elon, the one on X, thinks Hitler's a good guy. It recommends his.

[Elon Musk]

The problem is it can't read the room. If it's talking to somebody that is giving signals and there are signals that indicate somebody is short term, they're short term thinking to someone that's suicidal, you can. There are signs, there are cues. It can't pick those things up and it will miss those red flags that somebody that was even remotely competent would see and start referring them to help, start getting them to call 911 or do things they need to do. It doesn't pick those things up. It sails right past. So there's danger not only with what it says, but what it doesn't say, what it doesn't hear, what it doesn't see. And that's a danger.

[Dr. Phil]

We're pro human. All right, Dr. Phil, Texas will now require that public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments. Is that a violation of the separation of church and state?

[Andrew Sullivan]

Well.

[Dr. Phil]

Do we even have to ask? I mean, what do you think about that?

[Elon Musk]

Well, look, I think having something available for kids to see is one thing. Pounding it down their throats is another thing.

[Dr. Phil]

But it's a terrible list. It's a stupid list. Well, it's not the 10 worst things you could ever do. It's a bullshit list.

[Elon Musk]

It's not a competition about the 10 worst things you could do. Can you have a problem with any of the 10?

[Dr. Phil]

Yeah, they're stupid. The first four are all about God's ego. You know, don't pray to other gods. Don't have a statue of another God. Rape is not on the list. Child molestation is not on the list. Slavery is not on the list. But coveting thy neighbor's ass is on the list. It's a dumb list. There's only two things on it that are laws. Don't steal and don't kill. We couldn't have figured that out without the Bible. It's a dumb.

[Andrew Sullivan]

But it's good to have it in there. I mean, it's not a bad thing to say. Thou shalt not kill.

[Dr. Phil]

Thou shalt not steal.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know, but if you have a list.

[Dr. Phil]

But if A kid is 7 years old, old and very impressionable, and you know, this is the list of the 10 worst things you can do. And you've buried those two amid this other bullshit and left out rape and all these incest and slavery and all these other things. That is not a smart thing to do for an impressionable child who's trying.

[Elon Musk]

To learn what is right here. Well, you say all this other bullshit. That may other bullshit to you. But if you have somebody that's worshipping their phone and worshiping all of these things that people have generated and that is happening with young people, we have the highest depression and anxiety among our young people since records have started being kept. And you think it's a long way.

[Dr. Phil]

Around to defend what you're talking about?

[Stephen A. Smith]

We went all the way to cell.

[Dr. Phil]

Phones to say the Ten Commandments in the classroom.

[Elon Musk]

Everyone said, worship no other God. There are people that are worshiping phones. They are worshiping other things. It's not a long way around.

[Dr. Phil]

Absolutely true. But I don't know what has to do with this. Okay. Really? On the same.

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[Dr. Phil]

Okay. A crypto group has taken credit for the wave of dildo. Oh, yes, dildo. Throwing at WNBA games. They're throwing green sex toys on the court. Is this just edgy marketing, or does it reflect a sexist attitude towards women's sports? What is the point?

[Andrew Sullivan]

Combination of both.

[Elon Musk]

Is your problem that they're green or that they're just throwing a boat on?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, I don't think you should. No. What. Why are we. No, I don't.

[Dr. Phil]

I saw it on the news. I didn't understand what the point of it was. Like, if this is your great burn, your sick burn, I don't even get it. Is it saying, we don't respect women's sports? Is it.

[Andrew Sullivan]

They're heckling them. No question why you bring up the dildo stuff. You know, there's a lot of. You know, there's a belief by some folks out there that a variety of members of the WNBA are members of the LGBTQ community. And so when you throw that stuff out there, you're sort of, sort of maligning them and chiding them in that regard, basically alluding to what you think they should need and all this. I've heard people say this kind of stuff. Don't look at me like I think it. Cause I don't. I'm just telling you these are the kind of things that people have taxed and you know, through comments out there. But you got some sick ass people out here.

[Dr. Phil]

There's so many sick ass people you.

[Elon Musk]

Might want to leave.

[Andrew Sullivan]

They invent ways to echo folks. It just shows some people's definition of happiness is bringing you and lowering you to the level of misery that they live in every day. That's why they are who they are and they're usually hiding.

[Dr. Phil]

Yeah, so true.

[Elon Musk]

But think about it. Somebody had to go stop and buy that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I will say this.

[Andrew Sullivan]

I've seen people buy worse things.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Andrew Sullivan]

I have seen people buy worst things. Yes, I have.

[Elon Musk]

I mean, you got on your jersey and you're stopping and buying.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes.

[Elon Musk]

How. How do you explain that when you're going in there.

[Dr. Phil]

It bothers me that it's green? I'm just going to be honest.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay. No speak. Okay, one last question. I don't even know why. Why did it have to be green? All right, Speaking of green, the tr.

[Dr. Phil]

The Trump administration's announcing I cannot make the news up. They're going to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Your thoughts about the nuclear reactor on the moon?

[Elon Musk]

Well, I'd rather have it there than in my neighborhood.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Not on my planet.

[Dr. Phil]

Yeah, okay.

[Elon Musk]

I'll say. A lot could go wrong up there.

[Andrew Sullivan]

Invent new ways to spend money.

[Dr. Phil]

Good luck with the campaign, gentlemen. Thank you very much.

[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.