Bill Maher took aim at Donald Trump’s handling of negotiations with Iran, likening the U.S. “memorandum of understanding” aimed at ending the conflict to the president’s earlier sex-scandal controversy.
The comedian opened Friday night’s episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher with a sharply sarcastic monologue, pretending to celebrate the agreement while undercutting it with punchlines.
“I know why you’re happy, we have an Iran deal, finally a deal with Iran and I love this deal,” Maher joked. “We got everything we wanted except for everything we asked for.”
He added that he hoped the United States would face Iran in the World Cup, quipping that it might give America a chance to “beat them at something.”
Maher also mocked what he described as “hush money” being directed to Iran, drawing a pointed comparison to Trump’s payments related to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The U.S. and Iran signed an agreement this week intended to halt the military conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, as energy prices continued to climb.
But the arrangement reportedly commits the two sides only to further talks on enrichment and does not explicitly block Iran from accessing nuclear capabilities — the central issue Trump cited when launching his military campaign in February.
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are set to continue for another 60 days.
Trump has said the peace agreement will stave off an ‘economic catastrophe’ but threatened to ‘bomb the hell’ out of Iran if no final deal emerged.
The comedian took the stage for his opening monologue on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night, starting the show with a sarcastic bit praising the new deal
Trump signed a physical copy on Wednesday while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles
One provision calls for Iran, the United States and their allies to halt hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon. Pictured, file photo of a missile strike in Tehran from March 2026
Part of the agreement involves Iran making arrangements to ensure that traffic starts flowing through the Strait of Hormuz ‘immediately’.
Maher pointed out that destroying Iran’s ability to enrich uranium was initially cited as a primary motivator for launching military strikes at the start of the war in February.
The comedian also slammed the US’s agreement to provide at least $300 billion for Iran’s reconstruction and economic development.
Vice President JD Vance sought to calm concerns during an interview with Fox News, arguing that American taxpayers would not be footing the bill for the proposed development fund.
According to Axios, Vance said the money would not come from US taxpayers and would only become relevant if Iran permanently dismantled its nuclear program, surrendered its enriched uranium and accepted inspections.
‘Yeah, other countries, they’re looking at this. They’re seeing all that Iran got out of this. They’re getting $300 billion plus sanction listed, lifted, assets unfrozen. They’re all like, bomb us. Bomb us,’ Maher said.
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‘Where have I seen this strategy before? Oh yeah, I think I would call it the Stormy Daniels strategy. It’s a third party’s going to send you money and then we’re going to pretend this never happened,’ he concluded.
Maher pointed out that destroying Iran’s ability to enrich uranium was initially cited as a primary motivator for launching military strikes at the start of the war in February
Trump with Macron at Chateau de Versailles before signing the deal
Vice President JD Vance fired back at critics of President Donald Trump’s peace deal, accusing them of spreading ‘Iranian propaganda’
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds a document showing a memorandum of understanding he signed to end the Middle East war
Maher’s joke took aim at a sex scandal that plagued the president’s previous campaigns when the adult actress was paid in ‘hush money’ to keep quiet about their affair.
The president was found guilty in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the ‘hush money’ trial.
Maher likened the ‘hush money’ payments to the recent understanding with Iran, claiming that Trump paid out to both parties through a third party.
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration has hailed the MoU as a success, defiantly posting on Truth Social, ‘Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!’
The MoU says the US will lift the naval blockade, and Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait.
A 60-day window has been established for the two sides to negotiate a permanent solution.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment on Maher’s monologue.
