“Real Time” host Bill Maher closed the show Friday night and called out for Elon Musk and Doge not taking chainsaws to find a massive cut in military spending.
Maher began by playing a clip of President Donald Trump. He suggested last month that his administration would find “thousands of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse” in the military, juxtaposing those comments in this week's Department of Defense announcement. A $580 million cut It's far below the figures Trump has come to mind from his $900 billion budget.
“When they were talking about reducing government, I said, 'Yeah, it's great, but acidity testing is an outdated weapons program if they're going to chase all the biggest bloat,” explained Maher. The HBO host then quoted Musk's X post last November.
“Just your X-serence,” Maher said.
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“Real-Time” host Bill Maher took the “chainsaw” to Elon Musk and Doge to avoid chasing US defense spending. (Screenshot/HBO)
“But today, Trump announced that he has built a new fighter, the F-47. So what happened to fighters that have become obsolete in the drone era?” “Because you feel like you're deliberately avoiding the elephants in the room. You'll meet the new boss just like the old boss and meet the two trillion pieces of waste you originally said you could cut.
HBO hosts have saved Doge's “$35 billion” so far, but left behind “not mallested beyond the Pentagon Potomac,” “hunting,” and “difficult targets,” warning Eisenhower to be out of control with the 19-F — ING-61! ”
He then cited $6.8 trillion in the 2024 federal budget, with a pie chart showing 47% of defence spending accounting for 47% of discretionary spending, with all other sectors in single digits.
“Does that mean there's very little waste in this half?” Maher pointed out 47%. “You may not know how to code it like Elon's Geek Brigade, but I was able to read the f— ing pie chart.”
Fox News Digital has contacted an Elon Musk representative for comment.
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President Trump previously suggested that fraud and abuse could be reduced from military spending. (Pool via AP)
“That's amazing. The right and left of this country are dimbling over each other, but they agree on two things. For one, keep an eye on the Jews, as they're always doing something,” Maher said. “The second is, like the Virgin Mary, the defense budget is always perfect. In fact, once it gets bigger, it's always fine. It's like a fat Virgin Mary.”
Maher went on to cite the 2017 Pentagon survey that showed US defense spending was “higher than the next nine countries combined,” citing that it acknowledges that there are “19%” more “bases” than it needs to be.
“Isn't it “efficient” to close 750 bases in 80 countries around the world? Maher asked. “The Air Force has 51 golf courses. The Marines have 10. There are two in Guam. Nothing?
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Maher said the Pentagon was “where Eisenhower warned us that it was out of control of the 19-F. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file)
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He also targeted the Department of Homeland Security. He called it the dictionary definition of “bloated bureaucracy” and “Frankenstein monsters born in panic after 9/11.”
“So far, Doge has cut 50 million cases from its $170 billion budget. You know that every other part of the government has to tighten its belt. What about the part where you're leaving me off at the airport?” Maher said. “The Bulls have been over 20 years now. We started it before we had smartphones and AI. I think everyone can undress in public rather than have a better way to keep this safe.”
“I don't think I need your photos 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 planes,” he added.
