Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher was unrestrained in his criticism during a recent episode of Real Time, where he targeted Donald Trump for what he viewed as a deceptive portrayal of the situation with Iran, RadarOnline.com reports.
While Maher had previously backed military action, he made his stance clear: he believes Trump’s declarations of triumph are unfounded.
In his opening monologue, Maher confronted Trump’s ongoing claims of U.S. victory.
“The problem is he keeps saying we won, and we didn’t. We didn’t,” Maher explained to his audience, according to Mediaite. “Hormuz is not open. The people did not do an uprising. The regime is still in place. We did not win. Sorry.”
Maher also criticized what he called Trump’s inconsistent rhetoric, noting a shift from aggressive threats to a more subdued tone in recent weeks.
“A couple of weeks ago, it was, ‘I’m going to destroy your civilization,'” Maher stated. “And now it’s like, ‘Was it really a war? It’s more of a situation.'”
He commented that Trump’s social media activities have only added to the confusion.
“And in social media, he keeps rubbing their noses in the victory we don’t have. Every day, every day, he tweets out stuff that’s inflammatory and contradictory, all these bull**** claims,” Maher said.
He further remarked, “I gotta say, you can say what you want about his negotiating tactics. One tactic you can’t get him on is the silent treatment.”
In a blend of political commentary and humor, Maher compared the ongoing conflict to something less definitive than a conventional war.
“It’s gotten a little Groundhog Day, isn’t it?” he jested. “We’re seizing their boats, they’re seizing our boats. It’s less like a war and more like a Florida divorce.”
The comedian continued to satirize the strategy, implying the U.S. seemed to be “winning slowly” by attempting to harm Iran’s economy without reaching a clear conclusion.
While critiquing Trump’s victory claims, Maher clarified that he was not against military action itself and questioned the handling of the conflict.
“So let’s talk about the war for a minute,” Maher said during a previous panel. “I don’t understand this. We have complete military superiority. We’re bragging about that, except for the one place where we apparently need complete military superiority.”
He focused on the persistent issues around the Strait of Hormuz, questioning why the U.S. struggles to secure this crucial waterway.
“Do you understand this? Why we can’t control the Strait of Hormuz, the one place we need to control in Iran?” he asked.
