On his show “Real Time,” Bill Maher pointed out that many Trump supporters might feel let down by his first 100 days in office, even if they don’t openly admit it.
Maher stated, addressing the audience, “For liberals, the situation is even worse than they anticipated,” during a Friday panel discussion.
Then he focused on Trump’s supporters, suggesting they likewise feel disappointment. From their votes for him, I believe they expected significant changes. Their logic was, “We have seen years of job losses while wages have remained the same.” The system is just crooked and damaged. We have to stir things up. They were ready to risk it all, thinking, ‘Let’s disrupt everything—forget the judges, forget democracy, forget trade partners. What do we have to lose?’ But now they realize they have a lot at stake.”
Recent surveys indicate that nearly 60% of Americans feel the economy isn’t improving as promised, which may reflect this disappointment among Trump’s base.
During a later part of the discussion, Maher mentioned that reports suggest Trump might be seeking a way to backtrack his tariff policies. Maher viewed this as a positive sign.
“It’s encouraging that he can actually reconsider his decisions,” Maher remarked.”His special quality is that his supporters will stick with him, no matter how rapidly he changes his opinion. It’s like seeing a flock of geese; one move and the others follow suit”.
He then provided details from a report claiming that executives from big-box stores, including Target, Walmart, and Home Depot, warned Trump about possible trade war effects, including empty shelves in a few weeks and increasing costs.
In a comment, one person says:
, “Bill Maher makes an interesting point about Trump’s supporters being potentially disappointed, even if they don’t admit it. They voted for significant changes, but today it seems as though the expected economic recovery is lacking. It’s amazing to observe how Trump’s policy change—including tariffs—showcases how outside pressure shapes his decisions. It reminds us of how unstable his leadership has been and how fast attitudes may change.”
“Clearly, discussions with these executives had an impact,” Maher noted.
Bret Stephens, a columnist for the New York Times, humorously added, “Yes, it’s all about the influence of his billionaire friends.”
Maher countered, “Someone had a conversation with him that seemed to make a difference. For instance, Ken Griffin, another billionaire associate, pointed out that the U.S. is now 20% poorer than it was just a month ago. It could take years to recover from this damage.”
He continued, “Pollster Frank Luntz mentioned, ‘By July 4th, people will be having their picnics. I believe he has about three months before voters start to turn against him.’ What’s your take on that?”
In a comment, 2nd person says:
“Bill Maher brings up a valid point about Trump’s first 100 days—his supporters may have hoped for drastic changes, but it seems like those expectations haven’t been met. The shift in his economic policies, especially with the tariffs, shows how easily he can be swayed by his advisers. It’s interesting how he seems to listen to the last person he talks to, but the damage to the economy might already be done.”
Senator Adam Schiff from California responded that the issue is Trump’s tendency to be swayed by whoever speaks to him last. He added that even if Trump were to revert to pre-tariff policies, the damage caused by his inconsistent economic strategies has already been done.