Bill Maher defends Trump’s Pearl Harbor joke to Japanese prime minister
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“Real Time” host Bill Maher was unbothered by President Donald Trump’s controversial joke to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, saying it was funny, though not entirely appropriate.
“[Trump] He was in the Oval Office yesterday with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi. He was talking about our attack in Iran and he said: ‘We didn’t tell anyone because we wanted it to be a surprise. “Who knows better than Japan about a surprise attack?” Maher said on Friday’s episode of his HBO show.
“Is it okay to say that? No, but if Shane Gillis said it you’d laugh.”
A reporter who met with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi at the White House on Thursday asked Trump why the United States had not informed its allies about planned attacks on Iran.
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Bill Maher attended the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
In response, the president used Japan’s 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to help justify the administration’s decision-making while sitting next to the leader of the nation responsible for the historic attack.
“We didn’t tell anyone about it because we wanted a surprise. Who knows the surprise better than Japan?” said the president as Takaichi sat next to him. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Did you?”
In 1941, more than 2,000 U.S. military personnel were killed in a Japanese bombardment of a U.S. Navy station at Pearl Harbor, causing the United States to enter World War II.
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Maher criticized Trump’s handling of the conflict in Iran, pointing to falling stock markets, rising gas prices and increased federal spending demands tied to the war.
President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday, February 28, 2026 that the United States launched an attack on Iran. Trump is reportedly considering supporting militias to overthrow the regime in Iran. (White House via X Account/Anadolu/Contributor/Getty Images via Getty Images)
“The Pentagon said this week they need $200 billion for this war. What happened to the trillion we give them every year?” Maher asked. “What is this, just deposited money?”
“A month ago, gas prices averaged $2.93 in America. Here it is, a month later, and almost exactly a dollar higher, at almost $3.93. Trump said today that if I were president, this would never happen… Today he told an aide, ‘Check the lawn, check if Elon left any of those Teslas.'”
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Maher also joked about Trump’s foreign interests when discussing Trump’s plan to put his face on the commemorative dollar coin, a plan currently being worked on at the Treasury Department.
Semi-Quannual commemorative gold coin design featuring U.S. President Donald Trump in this undated proclamation image. (Report via US Mint/REUTERS)
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“They’re printing a gold coin with Trump’s face on it,” Maher said. “Federal law now strictly prohibits the currency of living presidents — that’s not a controversial issue. But Trump found a loophole to ‘f— you.'”
