Frequent Trump critic Bill Maher surprised his fans as he threw his support behind the president's war in Iran. The comedian, 70, dubbed the Middle East conflict a 'great thing' in the latest episode of his Club Random podcast, after songwriter Paul Anka said he believed Trump needs to find an 'off ramp' from the war.
Maher agreed that the war was not an 'easy thing' but argued that if Trump is able to unseat Iran's regime, it could turn into a 'great endeavor.' 'If they get rid of that horrible, fascist theocracy, like the worst of all worlds as a government which f***ed up the Middle East constantly, just the biggest troublemakers,' Maher said, as he passed a marijuana joint to Anka.
The talk show host said despite polls showing a growing number of Americans are upset with US casualties in the war, he believes it is 'unrealistic to ever expect any great endeavor not to cost lives.' 'So, it's fine with me if this is where it stays, as far as damage done,' Maher continued. 'The Civil War was a great endeavor, and it cost 600,000 lives. If it could transform the Middle East, which has been one of our biggest problems in my entire life. And recognize that Israel is our most natural ally. It could be a great thing.'
Since the US entered the conflict on February 28 with joint airstrikes with Israel that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at least 13 US service members have died and approximately 400 have been wounded. Maher's take on the war with Iran sparked backlash, with many challenging the comedian to enlist in the military himself as they said his indifference to US casualties was insulting.
'Bill talks a lot of smack for an old man who smokes pot, give him a gun and drop him off in Tehran,' one X user said. 'He'll be singing a different tune.' Another critic said: 'Scumbags like Bill Maher should be sent to the front lines.' Another said they believed Maher thinks he is 'smarter than everybody', adding: 'Typical of boomer willingness to tell everyone else to sacrifice.'
Maher's support for the Iran war comes after he has previously criticized Trump's handling of the conflict, including comparing the president's frequent proclamations of victory as 'Groundhog Day.' In his Real Time talk show last month, Maher slammed Trump for repeatedly declaring that he had won the war with Iran while the conflict still continued on. He criticized Trump for bragging about a 'victory we don't have,' and joked: 'We're seizing their boats, they're seizing our boats. It's less like a war and more like a Florida divorce.' Maher claimed his problem with Trump was how he 'keeps saying we won, and we didn't.' 'Hormuz is not open, the people did not do an uprising, the regime is still in place,' he said. 'We did not win,' Maher added. 'Sorry.'
