Bill Maher admits he was wrong about Trump's tariffs — says he just sees Americans 'living their lives.' And not a country in depression 'at all.' Do you agree with the comedian?

“The truth is, I don’t know what [Trump’s] strategy is. But look, the stock market is at record highs. I know not everybody lives by the stock market, but I also drive around, I don’t see a country in a depression at all — I see people out there just living their lives. And I would have thought — and I’ve got to own it — that these tariffs were going to sink this economy by this time. And they didn’t.”

Many experts were — and several remain — critical of Trump’s trade policies. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called Trump’s tariffs “a self-inflicted wound on the American economy,” while Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said they “create an impossible environment for business.”

To be sure, the uncertainty surrounding tariffs did rattle Wall Street. Trump’s first 100 days were the worst start for stocks under a president since the Nixon era. But they’ve since bounced back, and as Maher alluded to, major indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have hit new all-time highs.

The blunt reality? While Trump’s tariffs may have consequences — particularly on consumer prices — the U.S. economy remains a global powerhouse.

That enduring strength is why investing legend Warren Buffett has long urged investors to stay optimistic about America’s future.

As Buffett wrote in his 2022 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders: “I have yet to see a time when it made sense to make a long-term bet against America. And I doubt very much that any reader of this letter will have a different experience in the future.”

Here’s a look at two simple ways to bet on America.

Own a slice of America — the Buffett way

For Buffett, betting on the U.S. is a no-brainer — thanks to his unwavering faith in the resilience and growth of American businesses.

“American business — and consequently a basket of stocks — is virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead,” Buffett wrote in his 2016 letter to shareholders.

You don’t need to be a stock-picking expert to follow Buffett’s playbook. His advice to individual investors is as simple as it is enduring:

“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” he famously stated.

This straightforward approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across various industries, providing diversified exposure without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio. With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

Invest in US real estate

The U.S. is currently facing a significant housing shortage. A recent Zillow analysis estimated the housing shortage to be 4.7 million homes. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has acknowledged the severity of the issue.

“The real issue with housing is that we have had, and are on track to continue to have, not enough housing,” he stated in September 2024.

For investors, the housing supply gap presents a unique opportunity to invest in America. Housing demand isn’t going away — regardless of who’s in the White House, people will always need a place to live.

In fact, Buffett has often pointed to U.S. real estate as a prime example of a productive, income-generating asset.

In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check.”