During Friday’s “Overtime” segment of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher stated that he does believe tariffs are ultimately paid by Americans but also argued that this means tariffs put on by President Joe Biden are a bad idea.
Former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) said that 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is wrong that tariffs are paid by China and then stated, “When we put a tariff, let’s say, on Chinese TVs, okay –.”
Maher cut in to say, “Why don’t we say cars? Because that’s what we’re actually doing under the Biden administration. … So, why doesn’t it not work only for Republicans? I don’t get it, because this is what Biden is doing.”
Franken responded that he wasn’t sure why Biden has tariffs on Chinese cars and then turned back to discussing the general concept of tariffs, arguing that sellers in the U.S. pay the tariff, which either gets passed onto the consumer or harms the business, which Maher agreed with. Franken added that 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is correct that Trump’s tariffs would be a tax on Americans.
Maher then asked, “Why doesn’t it work the same way? Why isn’t it a bad idea when the Democrats are doing them?”
Franken responded that he doesn’t know the rationale behind Biden’s tariffs. Maher then stated that “we have to protect” electric vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. And Franken then stated, “Biden’s wrong.”
Maher reacted to Franken’s statement by saying, “There you go. Was that so hard? Let’s not play team sports. Let’s play truth.”
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