HBO host Bill Maher and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) debated the essentiality of the Obama Presidential Center on Friday’s broadcast of “Real Time.” <\/p>\n
BILL MAHER: So you guys were both at the Obama Library? Do we have a picture of the Obama Library? Because it looks like… [PICTURE] JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICO: The Death Star. MAHER: It looks like something aliens built in Dubai. It cost $ 850 million? I don’t understand why progressives like this. Couldn’t that, you know, money be better spent on something else? Who’s going to go to this? Why do we need a presidential library? Why does anyone need a presidential library? These monuments to somebody’s ego out of office. I don’t — YAnybody here in this audience planning to go to the Obama presidential library? [APPLAUSE] MARTIN: There you go. MAHER: Really? You’re a bunch of f*cking liars. You’re not going to the Obama library. [LAUGHTER] REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA0: At a time, Elon Musk is talking about sending people to Mars. You’re telling me that spending up to a billion dollars, one billion dollars commemorating the first and only African American who’s ever been president isn’t worth it? MAHER: First of all, we don’t need that building to do that. That’s in our hearts and minds. That already happened. KHANNA: But this is to inspire people. You know, Michelle Obama gave one of the greatest speeches. I’m telling you, don’t listen to me. Just listen to her, five minutes. And here’s what she said. Racism was hurled at Barack Obama. Insults were hurled at Barack Obama. And he never lost his cool. He never gave in to the temper. And he showed that hope, patience, and aspiration can overcome that. MAHER: What does that have to do with the building? KHANNA: The building tells that story! MAHER: We didn’t know that story without the building? Like, unless you go to the building? Obama, who was he again? [LAUGHTER] KHANNA: No one is saying this was built for education. No one said for education. MAHER: Okay, but it’s no $ 850 million versus going to Mars. I don’t want to go to Mars either. It’s $ 850 million going to the real causes of people who really need it. That’s the money I’m talking about. You know, we spend money on a lot of frivolous sh*t. I’m just saying, you can’t be a hypocrite about it. KHANNA: I don’t think most presidents need libraries. I do think that Obama’s story is unique. I’m biased. I work for him. But it’s a unique story of telling the possibility in this country of someone who had no shot. You know, when I was in law school, when I interned, they said to me, well, you’re Indian American. You’re a Hindu faith. Go to the Capitol because you’ll never get elected to anything. That’s what I heard. And then Barack Obama happened. And he changed the direction of this nation for millions of people. [APPLAUSE] MAHER: And again, nothing to do with the building. But thank you. All right. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n