HBO host Bill Maher praised President Donald Trump during Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” arguing that Trump’s tough-on-crime image has contributed to falling crime rates across the U.S.
Maher discussed the nationwide decline while acknowledging that several different factors could be responsible, including surveillance technology, social programs and changes in law-enforcement strategy.
“It’s not just drug crime that’s way down, it’s all crime,” Maher told viewers during the Friday broadcast.
He suggested that modern surveillance has made it increasingly difficult for criminals to operate without being recorded or tracked.
Maher specifically pointed to technologies such as Flock cameras, which are used by law-enforcement agencies and communities to capture vehicle information.
The comedian then offered additional explanations for the broader trend, including Democratic-backed social spending that he argued could reduce desperation among some Americans.
“But it’s also because, when Democrats expand the safety net, there are fewer desperate people,” Maher said.
He then added another explanation.
“And because Trump is a badass,” Maher said.
Maher made clear that he does not agree with every approach used by the Trump administration, including some of its immigration enforcement policies.
However, he argued that Trump’s aggressive political persona could still have an impact on how criminals perceive law enforcement.
Maher described Trump as a “f— around and find out President” and referenced the president’s emphasis on toughness and public support for law enforcement.
“I think the bad guys got the message,” Maher concluded.
The remarks come as federal crime statistics show a significant nationwide decline in violent crime.
FBI data released in August found that the violent crime rate declined 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, the largest year-to-year decrease since the agency began producing national estimates in 1936.
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter fell an estimated 18.1%, while robbery declined 18.5%.
Rape fell 7.6% and aggravated assault declined 7.2%, according to the FBI.
The estimated murder rate reached 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2025, matching the rates recorded in 1955 and 1956 and marking the lowest level in the FBI’s national estimate series.
Property crime also fell sharply, declining an estimated 12.4% between 2024 and 2025.
The Trump administration has pointed to those figures as evidence that its law-enforcement policies are producing results.
The White House has specifically highlighted the 9.3% decline in violent crime and the 18.1% decline in murder while crediting Trump’s approach to policing and public safety.
Independent crime researchers, however, have cautioned against attributing the nationwide decline to any single politician or policy.
The Council on Criminal Justice found that homicides in 30 large cities were 18% lower during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, per Trending Politics.
The organization noted that the decline began years earlier and has occurred across cities with different political leadership, policing strategies and economic conditions.
Researchers said there is no single explanation for the trend, pointing instead to a possible combination of demographic changes, law-enforcement practices, technological developments and broader social changes.
The Council’s analysis found that nine of 13 tracked offenses declined during the first half of 2026.
Carjackings recorded the largest decrease, falling 47%, while robbery dropped 17%.
Some categories moved in the opposite direction; however, domestic violence increased by 8% and reported sexual assaults rose by 3% across the cities included in the analysis.
Maher’s comments therefore enter an ongoing debate about why violent crime has fallen so sharply and how much credit should be given to federal, state and local policies.
While researchers have resisted assigning the decline to one cause, Maher argued Friday that Trump’s law-and-order persona should not be dismissed as one possible factor behind the trend.
