Liberal comedian and HBO host Bill Maher admitted on his podcast this week that he was wrong to predict that President Donald Trump’s tariff policies would crash the U.S. economy — acknowledging instead that the economy is thriving under Trump’s leadership.
Speaking with progressive YouTube host Brian Tyler Cohen on the latest episode of Club Random, Maher conceded that the reality on the ground doesn’t match the doomsday predictions made by many on the left, including himself.
“I would have thought — and I’ve got to own it — that these tariffs were going to f—ing sink this economy by this time, and they didn’t,” Maher said. “The stock market is at record highs… I don’t see a country in a depression at all.”
🚨NEW: Bill Maher ADMITS he was *WRONG* about Trump’s tariffs🚨
“The stock market is at record highs.”
“I don’t see a country in a depression at all. I see people out there just living their lives.”
“And I would have thought — and I gotta own it — that these tariffs were going… pic.twitter.com/386aYchG9B
— Jason Cohen
(@JasonJournoDC) July 28, 2025
‘Let’s Work From Reality’
Maher, known for his combative liberal views, told Cohen that blindly opposing Trump had become a dishonest reflex on the left.
“Let’s work first from the reality of that, not from ‘I just hate Donald Trump,’ because that’s boring and doesn’t get us anywhere,” Maher said. “That leads you to dishonesty.”
Cohen agreed, saying the tariff debate is part of why he stopped making bold political predictions.
“If I was good at predicting things, Hillary would have been president in 2016,” Cohen joked.
Maher Previously Mocked Trump’s Trade Strategy
The admission marks a sharp shift from Maher’s earlier stance. In March, he mocked Trump’s manufacturing goals as outdated and counterproductive, saying:
“Why do we want to bring back manufacturing? It’s so 70s. That ship has sailed.”
Maher had also rooted for a recession last year in hopes of forcing Trump to reverse course on tariffs, calling his China policy “completely a– backwards.”
Trump’s Trade Deal with EU Caps Victory
Trump’s tariffs, long criticized by globalists and the media, were aimed at rebalancing what he called one-sided trade deals that hurt American workers.
On Sunday, Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a landmark trade deal setting a 15% tariff on most EU goods, avoiding a broader trade war while locking in protections for U.S. manufacturing and industry.
Maher: The Results Speak for Themselves
Maher concluded by acknowledging that the results speak louder than political bias:
“I also drive around. I don’t see a country in a depression. I see people just out there living their lives.”
Whether other Trump critics will follow Maher’s lead in recognizing the success of America First economic policies remains to be seen. But Maher’s admission marks a rare moment of honesty from the entertainment left — and a clear win for Trump’s economic record.
