Comedian Bill Maher called out Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other democratic socialists during Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” pointing to the steep amount he was forced to pay in taxes while saying he’s tired of hearing the rich don’t pay their fair share.
“Last week was tax day. … I paid to the government, if you add in state tax, local, sales, property, fees [and] Obamacare, probably almost 60% of what I earn. That’s a lot, and I still wouldn’t mind if Bernie Sanders would stop saying the rich don’t pay taxes,” Maher said, kicking off his “New Rule” segment.
“And while I’m sure the super-rich, with their army of accountants and corporate loopholes, get away with murder, us regular rich people pay a s–t ton of taxes!”
Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Sanders’ office but did not immediately receive a response.
Maher proceeded to call out democratic socialists at large, first pointing to a Los Angeles Times opinion piece stating that the top 10% of earners pay 72% of all taxes, while the bottom half of earners pay roughly 3%.
“The democratic socialists talk about socialism like we don’t already have a lot,” he continued, pointing to government-funded programs like Social Security, unemployment, Medicare, SNAP and more.
“Not against it, just the same question — how can you be soaking the rich and failing the poor so badly?” he added, earning applause from the audience.
The IRS reportedly amassed more than $5 trillion in 2025, a number Maher brought to mind when ripping government failures to adequately care for the poor.
More specifically, Maher pointed to Remote Area Medical (RAM) services designed to provide free medical, dental and vision attention to those living in underserved areas.
“Are we really this incompetent and corrupt? Don’t answer that,” he quipped.
“Whatever it is, somehow the ultra-rich keep getting ultra-richer while a growing percentage is feeling truly desperate. You just wouldn’t know it because everyone on TV is rich.”
Expanding his argument, Maher cited once-affordable activities that have since become lofty costs that squeeze average Americans, including a vacation at a Disney theme park and the skyrocketing cost of concert tickets.
He then circled back to healthcare cost and accessibility concerns, noting that the wealthiest can buy health while the poorest lack the luxury.
“But here’s the truth — you’re not going to get healthcare to these people by threatening to tax and eat the rich,” he said.
“You raise billionaires’ taxes, they just leave the state, or they leave the country. … Or, in some cases, the planet,” he quipped, referencing SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Pointing to Elon Musk’s offer to fund unpaid TSA workers during a lapse in DHS funding, he noted the capacity of the ultra-wealthy to single-handedly support entire systems and agencies.
“Just skip the middleman. The government and the healthcare bureaucracies that, for whatever reason, no matter how much they take in, can never seem to get enough to the people and just shame the billionaires into doing it directly,” he added.
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