Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher directly addressed President Donald Trump's criticism of his selection for this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during his Friday night HBO program. Maher framed the ongoing tension with the president as a longstanding political and personal rivalry, urging Trump to continue the public sparring.
"I'm not looking for a fight," Maher told his audience, while simultaneously acknowledging the depth of their contentious history. He referenced a 2013 lawsuit in which Trump sought $5 million from the comedian after Maher joked that the businessman was "the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan." Trump later dropped the legal action.
"You know, this has been going on a long time," Maher stated. "So him trying to block me from getting it—I respect the move. Keep it going, baby. I just want things to work out, and also I want to say thank you, OK?"
Maher dismissed Trump's recent criticisms and encouraged the president to "get it off your chest, big man, OK? I'm totally fine with it." He expressed honor at receiving the prestigious humor award and extended a personal invitation to Trump to attend the ceremony at the Kennedy Center before the venue closes for a two-year renovation period.
"I will be there, Don, and I hope you will be too," Maher said. "I mean, the place is named after you now, you really should show up." He referred to the institution's controversial renaming to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a move that has drawn significant criticism from cultural figures and members of the Kennedy family.
In a notable departure from many progressive critics, Maher offered measured praise for one of Trump's foreign policy actions, telling his audience, "You could thank me for being one of the few people on the lunatic left who's glad you hit Iran and is hoping we win that one, OK?" This comment aligns with broader discussions about the administration's approach to military conflict and advisory dynamics.
The White House response to the award announcement evolved throughout the week. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially dismissed reports of Maher's selection as "fake news," but an administration official later told The Hill that "the situation changed after further conversations took place between the Trump-Kennedy Center and event organizers over the past week."
Maher's relationship with Trump has demonstrated complexity since the president's return to office. While maintaining criticism, the comedian described Trump as "gracious and measured" following a White House dinner last year—a characterization Trump later disputed by accusing Maher of "Trump derangement syndrome." The dinner drew sharp rebukes from other entertainment figures, including "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David, who published a fictional account titled "My Dinner with Adolf" in The New York Times, which Maher called "insulting" to Holocaust victims.
The administration's management of the Kennedy Center has sparked continued controversy, coinciding with ongoing protests by artists against what they describe as the administration's cultural control. The venue has begun employee layoffs ahead of its July 4 closure, while demonstrations outside the center on Friday featured actors and musicians criticizing perceived threats to free speech.
