Bill Maher says he doesn't see the USA 'falling apart' with angry, unhappy people when he rides around town — but Marianne Williamson quickly popped his Beverly Hills bubble. Who's right?

On certain topics, their views were as mismatched as their attire — with Maher donning a jazzy shirt and waving around a cigar, while Williamson sat cross-legged in a power suit.

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For instance, when Maher suggested that Obamacare “is getting very close to Medicare for all,” Williamson clapped back: “It’s not Medicare for all. We still have 85 million Americans who are underinsured or uninsured. You have to be really … buffered emotionally if you think 85 million people don’t matter.”

In response, Maher said he’s “not the strong man” that ignores the plight of 85 million people. He said that when he “rides around” town — he lives in Beverly Hills — he doesn’t see a country that’s “falling apart.”

“A lot of people are just living their best lives. And they’re not all f—ing rich. It’s not all the top 20%,” he said.

But does the longtime political commentator live in more of a bubble than he realizes?

Beverly Hills vs. Skid Row

Maher is not totally blind to the “horrible problems” hurting U.S. society. He agreed with Williamson that there’s a sizable “under-class” of people suffering in poverty and said “it’s a scandal that we can’t seem to address.”

But from a big picture perspective, he said: “I just don’t see a country where the people are just seething and unhappy when I’m out. And that has to count for something.”

Williamson responded: “You know where I was last night? I was speaking to teenagers on Skid Row."

“Do you know how many people are homeless in Los Angeles county on any given night? 78,000,” the presidential candidate added. “You say you drive around, but where do you drive around? You don’t drive too many miles.”

“Of course, why would I go to Skid Row?” a baffled Maher replied.

Several YouTube comments made similar assessments — not in Maher’s favor. One person wrote: “Bill is really floating further & further away in his bubble from the people he once spoke for.”

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The reality is that 37.9 million Americans are living in poverty, accounting for 11.6% of the total population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data — which only goes up to January 2021. Today, that number could be considerably higher after the fallout of the pandemic, soaring inflation, 11 interest rate hikes and changes in the labor market.

Even “middle-income” Americans with a stable income are struggling to cope with the impacts of inflation and high interest ratesIf you’re in the majority feeling the pinch and living paycheck-to-paycheck, here are some steps you can take to feel more financially secure and get more out of your income.

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