Bill Maher claims many Americans pretend to have strong beliefs, driven more by politics than genuine personal convictions.
In a recent episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” Bill Maher delivered a pointed critique of American political behavior.
He argued that many citizens lack genuine convictions and instead adopt beliefs based solely on party lines.
Maher urged viewers to drop the illusion of deep values, suggesting political loyalty often outweighs moral conviction.
Bill Maher accuses Americans of faking ‘deeply held beliefs’ just to align with their political party
Maher emphasized how Americans frequently alter their positions depending on which political figure or party supports a given idea.
He emphasized this with a stark observation: people care more about who is saying something than what is actually being said.
This shifting loyalty, he argued, undermines authenticity and creates a society more reactive than reflective.
Electric vehicles as a symbol of flip-flopping
Using electric vehicles as an example, Maher highlighted how opinions shifted with Elon Musk’s evolving political affiliation.
Once seen as a liberal icon, Musk’s drift toward conservative ideology flipped the narrative. EVs, once adored by the left, lost favor.
Meanwhile, Republicans, who previously rejected EVs, began to show growing support under the Trump administration.
Maher underscored this reversal with data showing overall car sales rising while EV sales declined.
“Back when Elon Musk was presumed liberal, liberals loved electric cars and conservatives hated them,” he continued.
“Then Elon went MAGA, and while the car market grew by 10% last month, sales of electric vehicles were down 5%, and not just Teslas, all EVs.”
“Conversely, MAGA Nation used to hate EVs two years ago,” he added. “Seventy-one percent of Republicans said they would not consider buying an electric car.
Trump said they were for, quote, ‘radical left fascists, Marxists and communists.’ Now he’s selling them on the White House lawn.”
COVID school closures and political reversals
Maher also addressed how party politics impacted educational policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He cited David Zweig’s book, “An Abundance of Caution,” to highlight a shift in stance.
The American Academy of Pediatrics initially supported reopening schools but reversed course after President Trump endorsed it.
This political pivot, Maher suggested, shows how leaders prioritize opposition over child welfare.
“Here’s the author’s takeaway line: ‘The Academy of Pediatrics were very strongly in favor of getting kids into schools, but as soon as Trump came out in favor of reopening, they completely reversed their position,” he quoted.
Medical opinions politicized during the pandemic
Another area Maher critiqued was the public response to ivermectin during the pandemic.
He emphasized that the medication had won a Nobel Prize for human use years prior, yet became controversial solely because of political framing.
“Hey, if you find yourself suddenly hating something you loved five minutes ago or vice versa, ask your doctor if ivermectin is right for you.”
“It [Ivermectin] won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for what it did for humans, but whatever the point is, it’s a drug, it’s not a politician,” Maher noted. “Drugs don’t have political parties, although I do suspect Xanax is a Democrat.”
Public health becomes a political battleground
Continuing with health themes, Maher criticized how conservatives reversed their views on fitness and nutrition depending on the messenger.
He cited the backlash to Michelle Obama’s healthy eating campaign as an example of resistance driven by political identity.
However, once Robert F. Kennedy Jr. championed similar goals under Trump’s administration, the same messages were suddenly embraced.
Maher sarcastically celebrated this change, saying tree bark was now considered patriotic.
“Do people really want to put politics ahead of their very health?” he asked.
“Let me answer that — Yes. I know they do, because when Michelle Obama adopted as her first lady project to get America healthy again, Republicans went buck wild apes— real housewives throw drinks in your face crazy against it because it was Michelle Obama who said it.”
“But now that Robert Kennedy, leader of the Make America Healthy Again movement, is in the Trump administration, tree bark good, f— yeah make America healthy,” he quipped.
“Finally, somebody said it. And when I say somebody, I mean not a Black, liberal lady.”
“But until we get to where we can do that,” he joked, “I just hope the Democrats come out strongly next week for dictatorship, coal mining, and making pot illegal.”