Bill Maher says Donald Trump is “wrong” about Iran: “He keeps saying we won, and we didn’t”

Comedian and pundit Bill Maher didn’t mince words when it came to Donald Trump’s take on Iran, telling viewers on Friday night that the former president is simply “wrong.”

During the latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, which featured Maryland Governor Wes Moore alongside panelists Chris Cuomo and Sarah Isgur, Maher used his opening monologue to dismantle Trump’s repeated claims of victory.

Maher kicked things off by mocking the ever-shifting tone surrounding the conflict, suggesting the situation feels less like a decisive war and more like an endless cycle of escalation.

“I know why you’re happy today. Because Trump said today we will not be using nuclear weapons in Iran. I didn’t know that was on the table. But OK, that was great. It’s gotten a little Groundhog Day, isn’t it? It’s always kind of the same story every week. We’re seizing their boats. They’re seizing our boats. It’s less like a war and more like a Florida divorce.”

From there, Maher zeroed in on the broader strategy — or lack thereof — behind the ongoing tensions, framing it as a chaotic back-and-forth with no clear resolution.

“It’s kind of become a war of, you block me, no, I block you… That’s our plan now, is to win slowly by destroying their economy, hopefully their economy.”

He then pivoted into one of his signature tangents, tying global conflict to everyday consequences — and, in classic Maher fashion, taking a few detours along the way.

“Yeah, it was Earth Day this week, but we found out we still use a lot of oil… Nobody can afford gas… Okay, but it’s not just gas, you know, it turns out everything is made of petroleum products. Did you see this week, condoms? Who knew… So condoms are now very scarce and very expensive.”

But beneath the jokes, Maher circled back to what he sees as Trump’s inconsistent messaging — particularly the sharp contrast between past threats and his current tone.

“And yet, lately, Trump, on the war, has been so chill. Have you noticed that?… A couple of weeks ago, it was, if you don’t do what he was saying today, I’m going to destroy your civilization… And now it’s like, was it really a war? It’s more of a situation, really, I think.”

Ultimately, Maher made his stance crystal clear, rejecting Trump’s repeated declarations of victory in no uncertain terms.

“And the problem is he keeps saying we won, and we didn’t. We didn’t. Hormuz is not open. The people did not do an uprising. The regime is still in place. We did not win. Sorry.”

He also took aim at Trump’s social media activity, arguing that the rhetoric only adds fuel to the fire.

“And in social media, he keeps rubbing their noses in the victory we don’t have… Every day he tweets out stuff that’s inflammatory and contradictory, all these bullsh*t claims. I gotta say, you can say what you want about his negotiating tactics. One tactic you can’t get him on is the silent treatment.”

Maher closed out the segment with a biting mix of dark humor and criticism, suggesting that while the U.S. may claim certain tactical wins, they fall far short of the broader success being touted.

“Turns out, the one thing we are really good at is killing their leaders who are too stupid to go underground when we’re trying to kill them. That’s what we’ve got.”

Real Time with Bill Maher airs Fridays on HBO.