Bill Maher Lambasts Elon Musk and Defense Spending on "Real Time"
Bill Maher, the host of HBO’s "Real Time," concluded his Friday night show with a blistering critique of both Elon Musk’s perceived inaction on military spending and the overall bloated nature of the U.S. defense budget. Maher’s segment was a fiery blend of political commentary, sardonic humor, and a pointed challenge to those who claim to champion fiscal responsibility.
The segment began with a clip of former President Donald Trump suggesting his administration could uncover hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse within the military. Maher juxtaposed this with the Department of Defense’s recent announcement of a $580 million budget cut from its staggering $900 billion budget. The contrast, according to Maher, highlighted the stark difference between rhetoric and reality.
"When they were talking about shrinking the government, I said, ‘Yeah, great, but the acid test will be if they go after the biggest bloat of all: obsolete weapons programs,’" Maher explained. He then turned his attention to Elon Musk, quoting a post from Musk’s X platform from last November. In the post, Musk implored, "Please, in the name of all that is holy, let us stop the worst military value for money in history that is the F-35 program."
Maher mockingly addressed Musk, saying, "Exactly your X-cellence." However, he then pointed out that Trump had recently announced the development of a new fighter jet, the F-47, directly contradicting Musk’s expressed concerns about the obsolescence of fighter jets in the age of drones.
"So what happened to fighter jets being obsolete in the age of drones?" Maher questioned, directing his ire at both Musk and the prevailing attitude towards military spending. "Because I feel like you guys are purposefully avoiding the elephant in the room. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, the two trillion in waste that you originally said you could cut. Yeah, you’re not going to get there by firing mailmen and the guy who tells you to not lean over the rail at the Grand Canyon."
Maher then sarcastically acknowledged the savings of $35 billion achieved by DOGE, while emphasizing that the "fattest target to hunt" remained untouched across the Potomac at the Pentagon. He invoked the warning of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who cautioned against the growing influence of the military-industrial complex back in 1961.
To further illustrate his point, Maher presented a pie chart showcasing the breakdown of the $6.8 trillion 2024 federal budget. He highlighted that defense spending comprised a disproportionate 47% of the $1.8 trillion in discretionary spending, dwarfing every other department, which were relegated to single-digit percentages.
"You mean there’s barely a penny of waste in this half?" Maher asked, gesturing towards the 47% allocated to defense. "I may not know how to code like Elon’s nerd brigade, but I could read a f—ing pie chart."
Maher then launched into a broader critique of the pervasive acceptance of high defense spending, even across the political spectrum. "It’s amazing. The right and the left in this country despise each other, but they do agree on two things. One, keep an eye on the Jews because they’re always up to something," Maher quipped, before adding, "And two, the defense budget is always perfect, like the Virgin Mary. In fact, it’s always okay if it gets bigger. It’s like a fat Virgin Mary."
He presented data showing that U.S. defense spending exceeds the combined spending of the next nine countries. He then cited a 2017 Pentagon study that admitted the U.S. had 19% more bases globally than necessary.
"Wouldn’t it be ‘efficient’ to close some of those, the 750 bases in 80 countries we have around the world? We need every one? No place to fire up the old chainsaw there?" Maher asked rhetorically. He continued with a list of seemingly wasteful expenditures, highlighting the existence of 51 golf courses operated by the Air Force and 10 by the Marines, with Guam even boasting two golf courses. "Nothing? No vroom, vroom for that?"
Maher also turned his attention to the Department of Homeland Security, labeling it the "dictionary definition of ‘bloated bureaucracy’" and a "Frankenstein monster born in the panic after 9/11." He noted that DOGE had only managed to cut $50 million from its $170 billion budget.
"You know, every other part of government has to tighten its belt. How about the part that makes me take mine off at the airport?" Maher questioned. "It’s been over 20 years of this bulls—. We started doing it before there were smartphones or AI. I’m guessing there’s a better way to keep this safe than everybody undressing in public."
He concluded his tirade against the TSA with a dose of common sense. "No one thinks you need your picture taken to fly from Tulsa to Spokane. It’s not 9/11 anymore. It’s 2025. And I’m not afraid of hijackers. I’m afraid of the plane," he said, driving home his point about the absurdity of some security measures.
Maher’s segment was a potent blend of humor and critical analysis, challenging viewers to question the status quo regarding military spending and the effectiveness of current security measures. He called out Elon Musk for perceived hypocrisy and highlighted the immense scale of the defense budget, questioning whether such a vast allocation of resources is truly justified in the 21st century. The segment served as a reminder that even in a politically polarized environment, some issues, like government waste, should be subject to rigorous scrutiny and open debate.
