On the latest episode of Real Time, Bill Maher didn’t hold back as he dissected what he called President Donald Trump’s “testosterone-drenched delusion”—the” idea that slapping tariffs on foreign goods will somehow reignite a golden age of American factory work.
According to Maher, the real flaw in this industrial nostalgia isn’t just the economics — it’s the reality that no one wants those jobs anymore, especially not the generation that’s grown up in a digital world.
“Trump wants to bring back factory jobs,” Maher said, “but there’s a big problem with that plan: Who’s going to take those jobs?” With immigrants increasingly targeted for deportation and robots potentially too busy being repurposed for, well, other uses, Maher turned his gaze to Gen Z — and didn’t mince words.
He painted a picture of today’s young adults as ill-equipped for blue-collar life. “They can’t even handle a shift at the Cheesecake Factory,” he said, adding digs about their reliance on emotional support animals and discomfort with basic social interaction.
Behind him, black-and-white images of gritty factory workers from the past served as a contrast to what Maher sees as a generation unable — or unwilling — to roll up their sleeves.
Maher wasn’t just mocking Gen Z, though. The brunt of his criticism was aimed squarely at the fantasy pushed by Trump and his MAGA faithful — a vision of a rugged, hard-hat America filled with brawny men and billowing smokestacks. It’s the kind of nostalgic Americana that Maher described as soaked in “testosterone” and stuck in the past.
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“They think if you build a factory, the workers will come,” Maher said. “They won’t—they’re playing Minecraft. They’re not saying ‘can do,’ they’re saying ‘can’t even.’”
But while Maher poked fun at younger generations, it’s important to remember that many Gen Zers spent crucial years of development — high school and college — behind screens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows this had a real impact on their mental health and social development. So while Maher may be aiming for laughs, there’s some context he’s skipping over.
Still, he kept hammering the point. “Did you know America has 7 million men in the prime of life who are neither working nor looking for work?” Maher asked. He labeled these men as “deadbeats,” surviving either on disability or parental support.
Though Maher is a longtime Trump critic — having previously supported Democrats like Obama and Hillary Clinton — he’s been full of surprises lately. He recently had dinner with Trump and even described him as “gracious and measured.” It’s a moment that’s raised eyebrows, especially among Maher’s liberal-leaning fanbase.
Ultimately, the episode was classic Maher: biting humor, controversial jabs, and a knack for pointing out uncomfortable truths — even if they ruffle feathers across the political spectrum.
