Back in December, comedian Bill Maher revealed he was no longer taking cheap shots at President Donald Trump. That decision stemmed from his surprisingly pleasant dinner with Trump at the White House in early 2025, arranged by Kid Rock. The turning point came during a direct conversation after their Oval Office meeting when Trump confronted him about an old orangutan joke.
Maher figured he had enough legitimate policy disagreements; he didn’t need to make cheap shots. "This is how people bridge,” he explained. “You make a little thing here, I make a little move this way. It doesn't hurt me. It doesn't hurt you.”
But that didn’t stop Trump from unleashing a long, scathing attack on Maher Saturday, during which he even called their 2025 White House dinner “a total waste of time.”
Why? Because Maher criticized Trump on the latest episode of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher.
Trump began by mocking Maher’s demeanor at the White House. He said that Maher was “extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself” and, according to him, said, “I’ve never felt like this before, I’m actually scared.” Trump recalled that the dinner itself was brief and cordial, calling it “quick, easy, and he seemed to be a nice guy,” and noted that Maher’s first show after the meeting was “very respectful about our meeting.”
But Trump’s account quickly turned critical. He accused Maher of returning to a “Very boring, ANTI TRUMP” narrative on subsequent broadcasts, ignoring what Trump described as his administration’s achievements, including the “PERFECT Border,” “Lowest Crime in 125 years,” the "50,000 DOW, the 7,000 S&P (Both Highest Ever!),” and “Lowest Inflation in YEARS.” He mocked Maher’s reaction to a joking comment about Canadian hockey and the Stanley Cup, writing that the host treated it as serious rather than playful.
Flashback: Bill Maher Won’t Take Cheap Shots at Trump Anymore. Here’s Why.
Trump called Maher “a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT” and compared him to other late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, though he said that Maher was “slightly more talented.” He also noted that Maher had asked to return to the White House and attend the White House Christmas Party, but never did.
Trump concluded his post by asserting he would rather spend his time “MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him” and diagnosed Maher with “a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!),” declaring there was nothing that could cure the HBO host of the condition.
What triggered Trump's rhetorical reversal was Friday's broadcast, where Maher mocked a Trump Truth Social post about China possibly terminating "all ice hockey" in a potential deal with Canada. "What the f*** are you referring to?” Maher asked his audience.
Maher has never stopped being critical of Trump’s policies, so I’m not sure what Trump was expecting of him. He’s a leftist and is never going to be MAGA. But it’s not like he won’t give Trump credit when he thinks he deserves it.
In the same episode that set Trump off, Maher also gave him credit for something many on the left won’t. He acknowledged that President Donald Trump “absolutely” deserves credit for pressuring NATO allies to increase their defense spending.
During a segment with former Trump National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (Ret.) and MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle, the discussion focused on Trump’s handling of Canada. Ruhle said, “But also, you should credit the President. He did shake the tree when it came to our NATO allies, demanding they pony up more money, and you have to give him credit for that.”
Maher agreed, saying, “Right. I do. Absolutely.”
Immediately after their White House dinner last spring, Maher had been respectful about the encounter, even comparing it to President Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China.
That apparently wasn't enough to spare him from Trump's Saturday attack.
Look, I don’t watch Bill Maher’s show, save for occasional clips on social media, but he is willing to call out the woke left on occasion, and if he’s willing to give Trump credit some of the time, perhaps getting hot and bothered over some criticism isn’t the way to go.
