Bill Maher exposes the military budget's wastefulness
- Bill Maher discussed potential waste in U.S. defense spending on his show.
- He expressed concern that the U.S. military budget consumes a significant portion of discretionary spending.
- Maher concluded that there needs to be more scrutiny and reduction of unnecessary defense expenditures.
In the United States, on March 21, 2025, Bill Maher, the host of HBO’s 'Real Time,' expressed his views on U.S. defense spending during a segment of his show. Maher discussed President Donald Trump's stance on defense spending, stating that while Trump’s approach was misguided, he was correct in pointing out that Europe should take responsibility for its own defense. Maher criticized the inefficiencies within the U.S. military budget, as the Pentagon recently announced cuts that didn't align with Trump's claims of finding substantial waste in the defense sector. Maher referred to comments made by tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding military expenses, particularly targeting the F-35 program as an example of poor financial value for the country. He argued that Musk and DOGE should focus on identifying waste in military spending rather than attacking other areas of government expenditure. Maher highlighted the stark contradiction between the claims of cost-saving found in various sectors and the reality of the war budget, calling it the 'biggest bloat' and showcasing defense spending as a priority that overshadowed other department allocations. He concluded his segment by lamenting the continued prioritization of defense budgets over community needs and raising concerns about the excess of U.S. military bases worldwide, calling for a reevaluation of what is deemed necessary in a post-9/11 world, emphasizing that current security fears should not lead to inefficient spending.