President Donald Trump has a long history of questionable allies and head-scratching enemies. Chief among those on the president's list of foes stand late-night television hosts. But President Trump recently admitted he's on much friendlier terms than people would think with one comedian.
The president recently spoke with reporters and provided details on his dinner with musician Kid Rock, television personality Stephen A. Smith, and late-night TV host Bill Maher. The meal took place at the White House on Thursday, October 18, and marked the second time Maher dined with President Trump.
"It was a great dinner. It was a very informative dinner," Trump shared. "Smart people. Stephen A. is great. Bill Maher, I tell you what, he likes me a lot more than people understand. And I actually like him. It was a good dinner."
The president continued, suggesting that his guests need to put on an act when it comes to criticizing him. Considering Kid Rock's longstanding support, it's clear the comment referred to Smith and to a larger degree, Maher. President Trump went on to add that "they like Trump, and I actually like them."
It's a far cry from what President Trump said about the Real Time host after they met in early 2025. Maher dropped some praise on the president, saying that Trump was much more self-aware than people would think. However, the president wasn't as friendly with his reactions.
President Trump called the dinner a waste of time and insulted Maher as "pathetic," "nervous," and "scared." Maher, meanwhile, continued to cricize President Trump's policies during his segments on Real Time.
Another wrinkle got added to their feud earlier this year when Maher received the Mark Twain Prize from the Kennedy Center. President Trump famously took over the organization prior to giving Maher the award, and he reportedly tried to block the late-night host from the honor.
It wasn't enough for Maher to badmouth the president or meet for another dinner, knowing the meal would attract more negative press. His 2025 dinner got a pretty, pretty good response from Larry David. The HBO comedian hasn't publicly shared his perspective on the event, but expect that to change when Real Time with Bill Maher returns with a new episode on October 23.
Kid Rock had a glowing review of the dinner, telling Fox & Friends that the sit-down was "epic" and included tough conversations on important topics. Similarly, Smith told Hannity that the president "didn't duck any smoke." The ESPN personality implied that he and Maher pressed the president on several issues to which Trump had answers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google