Bill Maher jokes about Punxsutawney Phil secretly working for the Pentagon, says groundhog endorsed Biden

PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA: On 'Real Time', Bill Maher recently delivered a monologue that covered a myriad of topics, from Groundhog Day excitement to Grammys nominations as well as Super Bowl conspiracy theories.

The late-night host subsequently took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so early spring! That’s the good news. The bad news is he’s secretly working for the Pentagon and endorsed Joe Biden," attaching a clip from his show.

Notably, Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog from Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, plays a central role in the annual Groundhog Day celebration, letting people know if spring is upon them, or if they are going to have to bear six more weeks of cold temperatures.

Bill Maher takes humorous jabs at Groundhog Day, Grammys, and Super Bowl conspiracy theories

Maher kicked off his monologue with a humorous take on Groundhog Day, saying, "I know people always get excited because it's Groundhog Day, very exciting on the calendar. They just see there is a big thing where the cup there."

He took a subtle jab at climate change skeptics and noted that as Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, spring will come early this year. 

Transitioning seamlessly, Maher delved into the 2024 Grammy Awards, scheduled for Sunday, February 4, to highlight that there are 94 categories in the ceremony, playfully noting the Latin Grammys' additional 50 categories.

Talking about the Latin Grammy Awards, which honors Spanish or Portuguese works, the 'Real Time' host quipped, "That's in November because segregation is always okay when we do it."

The comedian also touched on the intersection of Black History Month and political maneuvering by candidates.

Maher said, "It's Black History Month, and both candidates, boy, they're trying to jump on this. Biden's got a lot of different things to commemorate and Trump has organized a joint appearance with Frederick Douglass," as the audience burst out in laughter. 

Celebrating America's economic achievements, Maher offered a rare moment of positivity, noting, "But hey, what about this little positive little three cheers for America because our economy grew faster than any other major economies in the world and by a wide margin." 

Taking a subtle dig at Joe Biden being called the "worst president," the late-night host acknowledged the reduced unemployment rate, and increase in oil production. 

Maher then turned his attention to the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, highlighting the much-anticipated clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

Dubbing right-wing "mental", the comedian addressed the conspiracy theory that the Super Bowl is rigged. Maher also called the belief of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's romance being engineered by the Pentagon a "psycho-op operation."

He pondered on how some think that the couple is going to endorse President Biden during the Super Bowl halftime show, and said that the situation could just be of a "popular girl dating a football player" like a typical high school romance. 

Internet reacts to Bill Maher's Punxsutawney Phil joke

Soon after Maher took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a clip of his late-night show, making the Punxsutawney Phil joke, netizens flocked to share their hilarious comments.

One wrote, "Well he's only right 39% of the time for early spring, so he's definitely beating Biden in that contest," while another said, "Well, they do have similarities." 

A person complimented him, saying, "Bill your a dope," and someone else quipped, "A dirty rodent who lives in a dirt basement endorsed Joe Biden. Perfect".

"As I would expect from an underground rodent," remarked a user. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.