The former "Biggest Loser" star spoke to liberal comedian Bill Maher on his podcast about inflation after the COVID-19 pandemic, and slammed him for suggesting "inflation is not insane" in 2024.
Maher was discussing the pandemic and argued the United States came out of it better economically than most other nations.
"But isn’t it amazing to you? Like it was in the paper today, this country came out of the pandemic way better. We won the pandemic, economically," Maher said on his podcast that was published on Sunday.
"We did? I don’t feel that way," Michaels pushed back. "Explain it to me. I feel like inflation’s insane."
When Maher argued that inflation is not that severe, Michaels responded, "Bill, go buy a car, a house has tripled here, buy some f-----g eggs!"
A recent Axios Vibes survey on inflation showed many Americans feel anxious and angry at the grocery store over high prices. Though inflation has largely fallen from record highs in 2022, prices are still significantly higher than they were before 2020. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans must spend approximately $125.51 for groceries that would have previously cost $100 in December 2019.
Maher noted this contrast between how Americans feel about inflation versus the economic reality.
"There’s feelings and then there’s the numbers," going on to claim "the numbers have come down a lot in the last six months," he said. The initial problem, he argued, was the "inevitable" result of the COVID stimulus plan where the government "we gave out $6 trillion so that everybody could hide under the bed from the forever flu. That was never going to end well."
He added that it was a "massive overreaction" that led to inflation.
DESPITE THE SPIN, AMERICANS KNOW THIS TRUTH ABOUT BIDENOMICS
"The big picture is that every other nation in the world [is] much worse off now, and this country, for some reason just chugs f-----g along," he said.
"Immigration. We are kinda being overrun. Doesn’t seem to effect anything!" Maher joked.
"Does it eventually implode? Is there going to be a straw? I would say ‘yes,'" Michaels responded.
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Maher said America is like a "stupid but strong" teenage boy driving over the speed limit, but despite the risks, "as for now, we’re having a good time."
"I think some of it we're going to get away with," Michaels said, "and some of it, we're not."
"Absolutely," Maher agreed.
Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.