Bill Maher: Student loan forgiveness a 'loser issue' with working class

Commentator Bill Maher called out Democrats for pursuing student loan forgiveness that would only benefit a small minority of Americans during his show Friday evening.

The host of Real Time with Bill Maher told guest Paul Begala, a leading Democratic strategist behind Bill Clinton’s presidential run, that the focus should be on creating economic opportunities that don't require degrees.

“The Democrats have this idea that you are a better person if you sit in class more and more and get more and more degrees,” Maher said.

“And really the answer is not to make college cheaper. It’s to make it more unnecessary because most of it is bullshit anyway.”

President Joe Biden has signaled to Congress he is seriously looking at forgiving some student loan debt to boost turnout among young people for the midterm elections.

Maher gave some statistics as to why the issue was not relevant to most Americans, such as how only 13% have federal college debt, 65% don’t go to college at all, and 50% of college debt is held by grad students.

“We who didn’t go to college and didn’t benefit from that are gonna subsidize you to get your degree in gender studies and sports marketing and all the other bullsshit,” Maher said.

"I think it’s a loser issue."

Bill Maher isn't just against student loan forgiveness, he's against college itself, saying "most" of it is BS.#RealTime pic.twitter.com/xOYqs9WPeA

— Bob Brigham (@BobBrigham) May 7, 2022

Begala agreed, joking that Democrats had PhDs in “pissing off the working class.”

“Democrats have a lab, two labs actually – one in Berkeley and one in Brooklyn – where we come up with ideas to completely piss off the working class,” he said, prompting laugher from the audience.

“And it’s working wonderfully.”

“Somehow, in my lifetime, Democrats have gone from being the party of the factory floor to being the party of the faculty lounge,” Begala added.

The strategist suggested those who want student loan forgiveness “go back to their roots” and serve the country, whether it be in the military, Peace Corps or AmeriCorps.

“Not everybody can carry a rifle, but you can mentor a kid, and you should give two years of service,” Begala said.

A top lawyer from President Barack Obama’s Education Dept. recently said broad student loan forgiveness by executive order may not hold up in court, according to a secret memo leaked to The Wall Street Journal.