Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – Episode #718

Guests: Chris Christie, Chrystia Freeland, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Date: February 10, 2026
HBO Podcasts

Episode Overview

This Overtime episode of Real Time with Bill Maher brings together former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a lively, candid roundtable conversation. The discussion weaves through current U.S. political norms, partisanship, recent quirky news, the evolving world order, and the contrast between American and Canadian political discourse—with each guest sharing unique perspectives and plenty of humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Presidential Lawsuits & Trump's Unchanging Nature

Timestamps: 00:40–02:47

• Maher and Christie riff on Donald Trump’s habit of suing critics and adversaries, reflecting on Maher’s own experience being sued.
• Christie clarifies: He never apologized to Trump for the “orangutan” lawsuit, and is known for calling out Trump publicly—even after they had dinner together.
  • Quote:

    "If you watch the show, who's harder on him than I? No one. So no, I didn't apologize."
    (Chris Christie, 01:29)

• RFK Jr. and Christie agree: Trump hasn’t changed at all over the years, despite the office’s supposed gravitas.
  • Quote:

    "The majesty of the responsibility does not weigh upon him."
    (Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 02:15)

• Constitutional Reflection: Christie jokes that the Constitution never anticipated a president suing his own government—it would’ve been like banning a werewolf.

2. New York’s Snowstorm and Leadership Critique

Timestamps: 02:50–03:49

• RFK Jr. grades NYC Mayor Mamdani’s snowstorm response with a "C," criticizing pile-ups of garbage except around official residences—implying self-interest over public service.
  • Quote:

    "You know the one place, Bill, that is pristine ... the sidewalk in front of Gracie Mansion."
    (Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 03:15)

3. Diets and Pop Pseudoscience

Timestamps: 03:49–04:29

• Panel pokes fun at the trending keto diet and its exaggerated claims, including supposed health miracles.
• Christie mentions the cyclical return of diet fads.

4. Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, and Gendered Spaces

Timestamps: 04:29–06:39

• News item: Pentagon/WAR Department cutting ties with Boy Scouts; confusion about historical naming.
• Panel debates the logic of single-gender youth organizations.
  • Christie and Freeland argue there’s value in single-gender groups, especially for girls during formative years:
    • Quote:

      "Very important for girls sometimes not to have boys around."
      (Chris Christie, 06:23)

    • Freeland agrees, noting her experience growing up in Canada, where such groups remain common.

5. Trump’s Naming Deals & Shamelessness

Timestamps: 06:47–08:41

• Christie introduces a report: Trump is supposedly willing to bargain federal funding to get his name on Penn Station or Dulles Airport.
  • RFK Jr. lampoons:

    "He's brought shameless to an art form."
    (Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 07:18)

    • The panel imagines a future where Trump names major landmarks after himself for political deals—“Trump Kennedy Center,” “Gulf of America.”
    • Joke:

      "AUDIENCE generally, no. But specifically yes. ... If tomorrow was Donald Trump presents the Gulf of America."
      (Chris Christie, 07:47)

6. The Politics of Privately Spoken Republican Dissent

Timestamps: 08:49–10:12

• Freeland presses Christie: What's really said among Republicans when the public isn't watching?
• Christie admits: Many GOP members privately criticize Trump but praise him on camera for political survival.
  • Quote:

    "In the green room at ABC, they'll say, ‘You're so brave... He's nuts.’ And then they go out on camera ... ‘the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln.’"
    (Chris Christie, 09:10)

• Names dropped: Lindsey Graham called out as an example.

7. U.S.-Canada Politics and Global Order

Timestamps: 10:12–13:01

• Freeland & Christie touch on the civility of Canadian campaigns versus U.S. attack ads.
• Christie references: Mark Carney’s speech at Davos, about global order shifting—specifically, the declining reliability of the U.S. and China's growing influence.
• Freeland offers a heartfelt plea:
  • Canadians like and respect America; it’s sad to see democratic decline and possible reliance on China.
  • Quote:

    "The world, especially the world's democracies, will be really much poorer if you guys don't get your act together. Because a world in which we need to start relying on China. This is not a world where human rights matter. ..."
    (Chrystia Freeland, 12:19) "I think Winston Churchill was right when he said America does the right thing after trying everything else first. So could you please, finish trying the other stuff and start doing the right thing?"
    (Chrystia Freeland, 12:56)

8. Closing Remarks

Timestamps: 13:01

• Christie lightens the tone: “All right, we'll end it there. Thank you, Krista. Thank you, people.”
• Freeland and Maher plug new episodes. [Ads and outros skipped]

Notable Quotes

• Chris Christie:

  "If you watch the show, who's harder on him than I? No one. So no, I didn't apologize." (01:29)

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:

  "The majesty of the responsibility does not weigh upon him." (02:15)
  "He's brought shameless to an art form." (07:18)

• Chrystia Freeland:

  "The world ... will be really much poorer if you guys don't get your act together. ... This is not a world where human rights matter. ..." (12:19)
  "So could you please, finish trying the other stuff and start doing the right thing?" (12:56)

Memorable Moments

• Good-natured cross-talk about the confusion between Girl Scouts, Girl Guides, and country-specific traditions.
• The panel’s comic riff on Trump potentially rebranding major American landmarks after himself.
• Chrystia Freeland’s earnest appeal to Americans about safeguarding democracy.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp Start | |-----------------------------------------------|----------------| | Presidential Lawsuits & Trump’s Consistency | 00:40 | | NYC Snowstorm & Leadership | 02:50 | | Pop Fad Diets Discussion | 03:49 | | Boy Scouts, Gender, and Group Identity | 04:29 | | Trump Naming Deals & Shamelessness | 06:47 | | Private Republican Opinions on Trump | 08:49 | | U.S.-Canada & Changing World Order | 10:12 | | Freeland’s Call to American Democracy | 12:19 |

Tone & Style

The conversation is spontaneous, irreverent, and often comedic, with honest, sometimes biting opinions and jabs, especially around U.S. politics and Trump. Chrystia Freeland provides a counterbalancing earnestness, especially in her internationalist perspective and faith in American democracy. The overall vibe: playful, pointed, and ultimately hopeful.