New Rule: Democracy's Last Line of Defense | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

Quick Overview

Bill Maher argues that the Supreme Court, particularly under the current conservative majority, is acting as a partisan branch of government, not a neutral arbiter, citing numerous rulings against the Biden administration and contrasting this with how the court treated the Trump administration, ultimately questioning the Constitution's relevance if it is ignored or selectively applied.

Key Points: Federal district courts ruled against the Trump administration 94.3% of the time (82 out of 87 cases) between May 1 and June 23, while the Supreme Court had a 17-case winning streak for Trump. The Supreme Court subsequently blocked Biden's workplace vaccine mandate, limited his power to cut emissions, and rejected his student loan plan, suggesting a partisan check on executive power. Maher contrasts President Trump's interpretation of Article 2 giving him total executive power with the court's actions against Biden, noting Trump's lawyers sought absolute immunity. Maher criticizes the selective application of the Constitution, pointing out that the document is pro-slavery, while religious texts like the Bible are treated with reverence despite containing harsh commandments like death for Sabbath work. The segment concludes by questioning whether the Constitution remains a living, functional document or if it is merely a 'hot dog'—something Americans love but don't actually read or obey.

Context: This segment from Bill Maher's 'Real Time' show focuses on a political critique of the US Supreme Court's perceived shift toward partisanship, especially in its rulings affecting the executive branch under President Biden, contrasting it with the court's record during the Trump presidency. Maher uses visual aids like news headlines, quotes from Trump, and images of foundational American and religious texts to illustrate his points about the selective application of law and tradition.

Detailed Analysis

Bill Maher opens by asserting that the Supreme Court is acting like a partisan branch of government, not a neutral one, contrasting its recent rulings against the Biden administration with its favorable record toward the Trump administration. He cites data showing that between May 1 and June 23, federal district courts ruled against Trump in 94.3% of cases (82 out of 87), while the Supreme Court subsequently gave Trump a 17-case winning streak. Maher then details the Supreme Court's recent actions against Biden: blocking the workplace vaccine mandate, limiting carbon emission cuts, and rejecting the student loan plan, sarcastically noting that the court is constantly telling Joe Biden, 'Sorry, Joe, you don't have that power.' He then contrasts this with Trump's aggressive claims of executive power under Article 2, highlighting Trump's statement, 'Then I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President,' which was juxtaposed with his lawyers asking for absolute immunity. Maher further critiques the use of tariffs as an 'emergency weapon' by Trump, noting that tariffs are essentially taxes, which Article I, Section 8 reserves for Congress to levy. He then pivots to religion, comparing the reverence given to the Constitution (which he notes is pro-slavery) and the Bible (which contains commandments like putting Sabbath breakers to death) with the fact that few people actually read or obey either document, contrasting this with the public's unquestioning acceptance of the contents of a hot dog wrapper. The segment concludes with Maher holding up a tiny Constitution and a tiny Bible, implying that if people treat these foundational texts like unread terms and conditions, they are effectively meaningless.