'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAIhAAAgEDAwUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIhAAMEBRIiERQlMUFR/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/xAAZEQEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDscH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMi01LT6pbtWR1sYLHYXQBnTkx3fjSBERUWPreJ29rw+C3ESyEkx9n3SlNWg0PFOSnPfTNSrP//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The television host and comedian Bill Maher reportedly criticized Donald Trump's management of rising gas prices and created controversy with a joke about Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding on his show. He said,
"If your son Donald Trump Jr. is getting remarried, have the Russians pay for it. There are ways to cut down on your budget!"
The joke directly pointed to investigative reports that revealed that a Russian oligarch connected to Vladimir Putin helped cover part of the wedding expenses for Trump's son. Maher's comment intensified the ongoing political scrutiny and public debate about the Trump family's foreign financial ties and their acceptance of extravagant gifts.
MS Now reported that Trump said that the price of gas is currently averaging more than $4 per gallon, which he thinks is "ok," and he would not apologize for it. The remarks came as a sharp contrast to Vice President JD Vance's statement on Fox News just one day earlier, when he declared that reducing the cost of gas and oil was the top priority of the Trump administration.
Continue reading more about the story.
Bill Maher opened up to Trump's response to skyrocketing gas prices
On September 18, 2026, Bill Maher opened his show by thanking the audience for attending. He then remarked that gas prices had reached a record high and further added that unless people had walked to the studio, they must have spent money just to get there.
Bill Maher then explained to the audience how Trump responded to the skyrocketing gas and beef prices and advised saving money by choosing cheaper brands. He then made the joke about Trump's son's marriage.
Sources reported that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev helped Trump cover his son's wedding cost, as claimed by Trump. According to Fox News, Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson were officially married before their planned weekend wedding celebration in the Bahamas. The private ceremony was reportedly led by the real estate lawyer Brad McPherson.
Don Jr.'s luxurious wedding celebration amidst inflation in gas prices
Bill Maher reportedly highlighted Don Jr.'s wedding controversy by revealing that the Russians paid for his wedding. According to Reuters, Trump said on September 18, 2026, that his son promised to repay a Russian oligarch who covered the cost of his wedding celebration in the Bahamas in May.
Democrats in the US Congress began an investigation this week after reports claimed that a wealthy Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the wedding festivities.
According to NBC News, U.S. gas prices moved close to their highest point of the year on September 18, 2026, after the national average increased by another 3 cents overnight. The average price across the nation now stands at $4.46 per gallon.
This figure is only 10 cents lower than the peak reached earlier this year on May 21, when the national average was $4.56 per gallon. Prices are also nearing the record high of $5.01 per gallon, which was set in June 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trending
Follow Soap Central for more updates on Real Time with Bill Maher.
Reply
