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Bill Maher Says He Hopes for American Economy to Crash as It Could Hurt Trump

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Bill Maher Says He Hopes for American Economy to Crash as It Could Hurt Trump
Bill Maher in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2017. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for J/P Haitian Relief Organization)
Petr Svab
6/9/2018
Updated:
10/5/2018

Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” expressed hope for the American economy to crash so it may damage the chances of President Donald Trump getting reelected.

“Can I ask about the economy? Because this economy is going pretty well,” he said during a political debate on Friday with journalist Fareed Zakaria, columnist Linda Chavez, national affairs analyst John Heilemann, and political strategist Shermichael Singleton.

“I feel like the bottom has to fall out at some point and, and by the way, I’m hoping for it. Because I think one way you get rid of Trump is a crashing economy. So please, bring on the recession,” Maher said.

“Sorry if that hurts people,” he added and suggested that Trump’s second term would deprive Americans of democracy, leaving Trump’s opponents with no other choice but to “root for a recession.”

Maher himself is insulated from the effects of a recession by his estimated net worth of $100 million and annual salary of $10 million, according to celebritynetworth.com.

The American economy has pumped out many records over the past year, especially in recent months.

Unemployment dropped to 3.8 percent in May, matching the lowest level since 1969, while the economy added 223,000 jobs, beating expectations by more than 17 percent, according to a Goldman Sachs research note.

Black unemployment fell to 5.9 percent from an already record-low of 6.6 percent in April.

Female unemployment inched down to 3.6 percent, the lowest since 1953.

In April, employers offered the most job openings in one month—6.7 million—more than one for each person considered unemployed.
More than two in three Americans also believe it’s now a good time “to find a quality job”—the most positive response since Gallup started to ask the question in its polls 17 years ago.
Since Trump took office, the median household income increased almost 3.2 percent and reached a record $61,483 in April, according to estimates by Sentier Research based on monthly Census Bureau survey data.
Some of the reasons for the economic successes stem from Trump’s policies, including the cutting of regulations, taxes, and his planned investment in infrastructure. Americans give him credit too—more than two in three believe that he’s at least partly responsible.

Trump ran for president with a promise of reviving the economy and the results look to boost his agenda in the midterms.

Including two special elections, there will be 35 Senate seats up for grabs come election day on Nov. 6. Of those, 23 are currently held by Democrats and two by independents—Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who are allied with Democrats. Republicans hold eight seats.

In addition, voters will decide on all 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold 235 seats versus the Democrats’ 193.

Some conservative commentators have worried that Maher’s view might be more widespread among people set on hurting Trump’s chances for reelection in 2020.

“Who wants to root for people losing their jobs and a bad economy? No one does,” Fox contributor Pete Hegseth said on Saturday. “But in the back of their mind they’re saying, ‘how do we beat this guy in 2018, especially in 2020? Well, the economy’s got to tank.’”
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