In the wake of the US political climate, Billie Eilish was expected to give a speech about polarization at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
True to her activist stance, after winning Song of the Year, the musician did just that. She called out ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their actions, saying, “No one is illegally on stolen land.”
But Bill Maher was not a fan of her speech. During his late night show, Real Time with Bill Maher, he berated the Grammy winner for not being aware of the facts.
Maher pulled out a transcript of Eilish’s speech, which began with the singer saying, “It’s hard to know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything because you don’t know things,” he calls out to Eilish after she starts her speech, saying, “It’s hard to know what to say.”
“I don’t think you went to school, and you don’t know the facts,” says the presenter. But he didn’t stop there.
He appears to be mocking Eilish for her credibility in her speech on immigration. “What is the practical next step in saying there is no such thing as illegal people on stolen land?” asks the 70-year-old: “Are we just going to live in tepees again?”
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie similarly condemned the Wildflower hitmaker’s anti-ICE speech.
“The fact is, it’s a complicated history,” he says while appearing on the Real Time with Bill Maher panel.
“People got screwed along the way. Yes, we agree with that,” Christie continues. “But if we make these statements today and then have no real solution behind that statement, it’s all nonsense.”
Meanwhile, Eilish’s speech is part of her broader activism for what she describes as just causes.
