On HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher Unloads on Trump’s Beijing Lovefest and His Surprisingly Cozy Relationship With China’s Leader
On Friday night’s edition of HBO‘s Real Time with Bill Maher, the acerbic host made President Donald Trump‘s state visit to Beijing the centerpiece of his monologue — and he didn’t hold back on skewering Trump’s surprisingly warm embrace of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Trump hates China, but he loves Xi,” Maher told his studio audience. “To call what happened over there a lovefest would be an understatement. As he left, Trump thanked Xi profusely for his hospitality — and Xi thanked Trump for making China way more popular around the world.”
The White House framed the visit in diplomatic terms, saying both leaders “discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries.”
What it looked like on camera, however, was something else entirely. The summit came at a moment when the two nations have been locked in a bruising trade war for well over a year — making Trump’s warm, almost fawning demeanor toward Xi all the more striking, and all the more useful to Maher.
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Maher zeroed in on exactly why Trump appeared so soft during the trip. “China knows what Trump likes,” he said. “What does he like? He likes the pomp and the parades. He likes the red carpet. There were thousands of children waving American flags.”
“And Xi — he’s clever. He bargained like someone who knows he holds the cards now, ever since Trump backed down on their big trade war.”
It was a sharp observation — and one that landed hard with the audience.
Maher saved one of his sharpest jabs for the state dinner menu. “As a subtle dig,” he quipped, “they served orange chicken.”
The bit went viral almost immediately after airing.
But Maher wasn’t done. “Trump says with Xi, there are no games. It’s getting a little weird,” he cracked. “At one point, Xi told his translator, ‘Tell Trump — don’t catch feelings.'”
What made Friday’s monologue particularly resonant was that the comedy was grounded in real geopolitical facts — and the numbers back Maher up.
Trump arrived in Beijing with a delegation that included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang — all three of whom have enormous business interests in China. The presence of America’s most powerful tech executives made clear just how dependent U.S. industry remains on Chinese markets.
Scott Kennedy, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that “China comes into this meeting far more confident than in 2017, when it feared even a small rise in U.S. tariffs. In the last year, Xi has been able to push back and neutralize much of Trump’s actions.”
During the summit, Xi also issued a stark warning to Trump, stating that if the Taiwan issue is not handled properly, it could put the entire U.S.-China relationship “in great jeopardy.”
