Bill Maher has come up with a fresh concept for a new show: “The Real Housewives of the White House.”
Opening the latest episode of Real Time, the HBO host shared his take on the intense “shouting match” that unfolded earlier that day between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“What’s happening in the world? Not much. Can’t think of anything,” Maher joked, prompting laughter from the audience. “Oh, in World War 3 updates, we’re on the other side now.”
The confrontation took place during a meeting in the Oval Office, where tensions escalated among the three leaders. What began as a discussion about a minerals deal, which Trump claimed could help move Ukraine toward ending its war with Russia, turned hostile. According to the Associated Press, Trump spent the last ten minutes of the meeting scolding Zelensky.
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump told Zelensky. The Associated Press also noted that Zelensky’s goal in the meeting was to urge Trump not to abandon Ukraine and to caution against getting too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Before airing a clip of the heated exchange on Real Time, Maher introduced it by saying, “It turned into a shouting match, which I’m sure Trump thinks is great for TV.” That’s when he humorously dubbed the situation “The Real Housewives of the White House.”
Later in the episode, Maher spoke with former White House Chief of Staff and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, as well as CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, to discuss the fiery confrontation.
Zakaria remarked, “It’s funny, but really tragic, to see the president and the vice president bully, berate, and demean someone who relies on the United States for its survival.” He added, “For the past century, America’s foreign policy has been clear: we’ve been on the side of the victims of aggression, supporting democracies against dictators and aggressors.”
He went on, “To see this bizarre moral reversal… listening to Trump, it’s obvious he feels far more at ease and sympathetic with Vladimir Putin.”
Emanuel echoed Zakaria’s thoughts, stating, “This approach won’t resonate with the American people.”
He continued, “For years, American foreign policy has been defined by internationalism versus isolationism. Now, we’re seeing a policy driven by either principles or predatory motives. I don’t think the American public will want to identify with the notion that we’re willing to trade for minerals or take Greenland for a price. That’s not the image Americans have of themselves, especially when it’s being handled this way.”
Also featured on the show was Chrystia Freeland, the former Canadian Finance Minister and Liberal leadership contender.
You can watch a clip from the episode’s Overtime segment with Emanuel and Zakaria above.
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