Bill Maher tallies up stolen, wasted, and missing COVID relief money

Bill Maher took a deep dive into the U.S. government’s spending during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Real Time host cited examples where millions of dollars went missing, got stoled, or just flat out wasted.

Maher has spent countless segments sharing his thoughts on the novel coronavirus pandemic. Mostly, he’s focused on the causes behind its spread or the culture wars that have sprung up around masks and other restrictions.

Friday night’s “New Rule” segment took a look at the financials. While Maher agreed that some money had to be spent to avoid economic disaster or help hospitals, he wasn’t on board with the millions he says went to waste.

The U.S. government laid out $5.7 trillion for various programs and initiatives meant to provide American workers, businesses, and communities with relief during the pandemic. However, Maher revealed that some $163 billion in unemployment benefits were lost to fraud. The Real Time host chirped that there was a “come and steal it” sign on the mountain of money created by the government.

Bill Maher says the government stopped policing relief funds

Golf courses, dead people, Kanye West, Tom Brady, and scam organizations all received financial help during the pandemic. According to Maher, these examples should trigger anyone watching at home and open their eyes to what happened over the past two years.

Maher acknowledges that government money does get lost through “leaky buckets,” so it was inevitable that some COVID relief funds wouldn’t get used properly. But the Real Time host argues that “if it’s all holes, it’s not a bucket anymore. What you’ve got there is a handle.”

The late-night TV host assigned blame to both Republicans and Democrats. He questioned why fiscal conservatives didn’t mind so much spending. On the other side, he wondered why liberals aren’t outraged that the wealthy made out better than the workers.

Maher wrapped up the segment defending his position. He once again claimed that his political views haven’t changed, it’s the hole-to-bucket ratio that changed.

What did you think of this “New Rule” segment from Bill Maher? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.