By Gloria Ogbonna
Television host and political commentator Bill Maher sharply criticized President Donald Trump over his administration’s handling of protests in Iran, arguing that the United States failed to back up strong rhetoric with meaningful action.
Speaking during Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher expressed disappointment, claiming Trump had previously suggested that the U.S. would not allow Iranian protesters to be violently suppressed, but ultimately did not follow through.
Maher recalled Trump’s earlier statements made when reports emerged of Iranian authorities cracking down on demonstrators in the streets.
“He did say a while ago, when they were starting to kill people in the streets, ‘We’re not going to let you get away with this,’” Maher said. “And then he just let them hang out to dry.”
Maher argued that this perceived lack of action undermined America’s credibility on the world stage and raised concerns among those who had hoped for a different approach.
“America’s not a very reliable ally,” he added. “I thought he was going to be different on that.”
Maher’s criticism centered on what he described as a gap between promises and policy, particularly when it comes to supporting civilians protesting against their government.
At the same time, Maher made clear that his criticism of Trump’s response to the protests did not mean he opposed all of the president’s foreign policy decisions related to Iran.
In fact, Maher said he had strongly supported U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities the previous year, calling them effective and justified due to their specific and limited objective.
“I was very supportive of bombing the nuclear facility in Iran. I thought that was great,” Maher said.
He explained that, in his view, those strikes had a clear and achievable goal: damaging Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Because of that defined objective, he believed the military action made strategic sense.
“I understood the goal there,” Maher said. “And I understood how it could just be ended with the bombing itself.”
However, Maher argued that the situation involving protesters in Iran was fundamentally different and far more complicated.
He suggested that preventing violence against demonstrators would require a broader and more aggressive strategy, including directly confronting powerful elements of the Iranian regime, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which plays a major role in maintaining internal security.
According to Maher, he does not believe limited strikes alone would be enough to stop violence against protesters or achieve meaningful change on the ground.
“I don’t get this one,” Maher said, referring to the lack of a clear plan to address the reported violence against civilians.
Maher’s comments highlight the ongoing debate in the United States over how the country should respond to political unrest in Iran, and whether military action, diplomatic pressure, or other measures are the most effective tools.
His remarks also reflect broader concerns about America’s role as a global power and whether its actions align with its public commitments, particularly when it comes to supporting democratic movements and human rights abroad.
Source Breitbart
Original article
Comments