1 week Ago By USA TODAY
Longtime Donald Trump critic Bill Maher is finally ready to dish on his White House dinner with the president . "No, I didn’t go MAGA, and to the president’s credit, there was no pressure to," Maher said during his opening monologue on the April 11 episode of his Max late-night talk show, " Real Time with Bill Maher ." Maher conceded Trump is "much more self-aware than he lets on in public" but acknowledged, "It doesn't matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian; it matters who he is on the world stage.
" He later added, "Why can't we get the guy I met to be the public guy?" Though the March 31 meeting went well, Maher — who had derided the president's tariff flip-flopping earlier in the monologue — maintained he will continue to hold the Trump administration to account. "I don’t have a good feeling and will be critical about a lot of what he's doing: the trade war and disappearing people, ruling by decree, threatening judges, gutting the government with glee," Maher said. He ended his report by saying, "Trump was gracious and measured, and why he isn't that in other settings, I don't know.
And I can't answer, and it's not my place to answer. I'm just telling you what I saw, and I wasn't high." He quipped, "Damn, missed opportunity.
" Viewers had been anticipating Maher's take on the meeting since he posted on April 1 confirming it happened but "as it’s April 1 today, no one would believe what I said today anyway!" Trump signed Bill Maher's list of insulting epithets Maher also confronted the president with at least 60 "insulting epithets" that Trump has called him over the years. These were printed on a piece of paper, which Trump signed "with good humor," Maher revealed. Words Trump had used to describe Maher included "stupid, dummy, low-life dummy, sleazebag, sick, sad, stone-cold crazy, really a dumb guy, fired like a dog, his show is dead," Maher listed off the legal-sized paper.
Trump has gone after Maher multiple times over the years, frequently targeting him in social media posts that claimed the ratings for "Real Time with Bill Maher," now in its 23rd season, were suffering. Trump also filed a lawsuit against Maher in 2013 — then later dropped the case — after the TV host joked that Trump was "the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan." 'It could not have been better': What Kid Rock, Bill Maher said about dinner with Trump Maher's so-called "book report" from the White House come days after he released a Club Random podcast episode in which he stood by his past criticisms of Trump while admitting has has some admiration for the president.
Maher said that though he has not been a fan of some of Trump's comments and actions, he believes "Trump is one of the most effective politicians." Maher admitted Trump has "political instincts" and a "connection with young people," which he believes the Democratic party lacks. Kid Rock: Maher and Trump's meeting 'blew my mind' Prior to the meeting, Trump expressed doubts about how the encounter would go in a Truth Social post , saying Kid Rock suggested they confer, and "I really didn’t like the idea much, and don’t like it much now, but thought it would be interesting.
" Country rock singer Kid Rock confirmed he was responsible for setting up the dinner, which he and UFC CEO Dana White also attended. For his part, Rock said on " Fox & Friends " that it "could not have been better. Everyone was so surprised.
" 'One of the most effective politicians': Bill Maher clarifies he doesn't hate Trump Rock added, "It blew my mind. I was very proud." "Real Time" guests on April 11 were Trump's former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon , who was released from prison in October after his conviction for contempt of Congress , and controversial British media personality Piers Morgan , as well as author Josh Rogin, who is the lead global security analyst for Washington Post Intelligence.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Maher talks Trump dinner: 'No, I didn’t go MAGA'.
