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While economists and citizens criticized Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, one notable figure is standing by him—Bill Maher.
Maher, 69, recently lauded Trump, 78, as “one of the most effective” presidents, just days after attending a White House dinner.
On the other hand, billionaire Bill Ackman, who previously supported Trump, is now sounding the alarm, warning that the tariffs could spark an “economic nuclear war.”
After years of mocking Donald Trump, comedian Bill Maher seemed to soften his stance on the controversial president following a dinner at the White House hosted by Kid Rock.
During a recent episode of his Club Random podcast on Sunday, April 6, Maher told guest Chris Cuomo, “Trump really… is one of the most effective politicians… regardless of what you think about the policy or him as a person.”
He added, “As a politician, he understands that you should always lean into being more of who you are.”
He continued, “The public may not be well-versed on all the issues, but they can spot a phony from a mile away, and that kind of thing, nobody else does it like he does.”
Maher went on to praise Trump’s effectiveness, contrasting him with the Democratic Party.
He said, “Trump has those moments that no other politician can replicate. The Democrats need to find someone like that.”
“But let’s be honest—they’ve been searching for years, and they’re still coming up short.”
While Maher expressed praise for Trump, one of the president’s billionaire backers withdrew his support after Trump’s recently imposed tariffs led to severe disruptions in the stock market.
On Wednesday, April 2, Trump unveiled plans to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on several countries with the largest trade imbalances with the U.S.
Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, took to X to warn that “business investment will grind to a halt, and consumers will close their wallets” if the tariffs are enforced.
While Ackman agreed that “other nations have taken advantage of the U.S. by protecting their home industries at the expense of millions of our jobs and economic growth,” he cautioned against imposing “massive and disproportionate tariffs on our friends and our enemies alike.”
He further warned: “(We) are in the process of destroying confidence in our country as a trading partner, as a place to do business, and as a market to invest capital.”
Ackman suggested that Trump could “call a 90-day time-out, negotiate, and resolve unfair asymmetric tariff deals, which could lead to trillions of dollars of new investment in our country.”
However, if the president chooses not to, Ackman stated, the U.S. would “launch economic nuclear war on every country in the world. Business investment will grind to a halt, consumers will close their wallets and pocketbooks, and we will severely damage our reputation with the rest of the world, which will take years—and potentially decades—to rehabilitate.”
He continued: “What CEO or board of directors would be comfortable making large, long-term economic commitments in our country during an economic nuclear war?”
“When markets crash, new investments cease, consumers stop spending, and businesses have no choice but to cut back on investments and lay off workers.”
Ackman pointed out that both large corporations and small businesses would suffer, adding: “We are heading for a self-inflicted economic nuclear winter, and we need to start preparing for it. May cooler heads prevail.”
