Bill Maher Praises Donald Trump’s Graciousness and Openness During Memorable White House Encounter
Bill Maher expressed that while some may “hate” him for his updated view on President Donald Trump after their meeting at the White House, he insists he is “not a liar.”
During the latest episode of HBO’s Real Time, the host and long-time adversary of Trump reflected on his recent encounter with the president and Kid Rock. Following this trip, Maher concluded that Trump was actually “gracious and measured,” contrary to the portrayal of him as a “crazy person on TV.”
“Let me first say to all those who treated this like it was some type of summit meeting, you’re ridiculous. As if I was going to sign a treaty or something. I have no power,” Maher began. “I’m just a comedian, and he’s the most powerful leader in the world. I don’t lead anything, except perhaps a group of centrist-minded individuals who believe there should be a better way to run this country than by hating each other every minute.”
The comedian noted that he had his staff compile a list of nearly 60 derogatory names the president has called him, which Trump signed “with good humor.”
Maher pledged to “report exactly what happened” during his White House visit, stating, “you decide what you think about it, and if that’s not enough pure Trump hate for you, I don’t care.”
After mentioning that the president gifted him several MAGA hats, he continued, “The guy I met is not the person who tweeted a bunch of nasty stuff the night before about how he thought this was a terrible idea and what a deranged asshole I was. I read it and thought, ‘What a lovely way to welcome someone to your house.’ But when I arrived, that guy wasn’t there.”
Maher expressed surprise at Trump’s ability to laugh, stating, “I’ve never seen him laugh in public, but he does, even at himself, and it’s not fake. Believe me, as a comedian with 40 years of experience, I know a fake laugh when I hear one.”
He also recalled taking an “amazing tour of the whole house,” mentioning a conversation about the 2020 election. “I know he used the word lost, and I distinctly remember saying, ‘Wow, I never thought I’d hear you say that.’ He didn’t get mad. He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public.”
“I’ve had numerous conversations with prominent figures who are much less engaged—people who don’t look you in the eye, who don’t really listen because they want to get to their next thing, and whose responses don’t really match what you say,” Maher continued. “None of that was him. He mostly steered the conversation to, ‘What do you think about this?’ I know your mind is blown; so is mine.”
The comedian added that he was able to joke with Trump and counter his statements without issue. At one point, he corrected the president when Trump tweeted the night before that Maher was critical of all things Trump.
“Not true. Check the tapes,” Maher clarified. “Moving Israel’s embassy to Jerusalem? Loved it. The border did need to be controlled. I’m glad the cops are getting their morale back. DEI had gone too far. Biological men shouldn’t compete in women’s sports. Europe should pay for their defense, and it makes sense that Arab countries should take in Arab refugees—like the millions of Syrians who ended up in Germany when Saudi Arabia took none.”
Maher noted that he “never felt the need to walk on eggshells around” Trump during their meeting, stating, “Honestly, I voted for [Bill] Clinton and [Barack] Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump. That’s just how it went down; make of it what you will.”
He described the “most surreal part of the whole night” as returning home and watching a segment on 60 Minutes from the night before. “There’s Trump in one of their stories, standing at a podium in a room that looked like one of the rooms we’d just been in, ranting, ‘Disgusting. You’re a terrible person,’ and I thought, ‘Who’s that guy? What happened to Glinda the Good Witch? And why can’t we have the guy I met be the public guy?’”
Maher emphasized that he was “just reporting exactly what I observed over 2.5 hours” and learned “a crazy person doesn’t live in the White House.” However, he added, “A person who acts like a crazy person on TV does live there, which I know is strange. It’s just not as strange as I expected.”
The comedian noted he will continue to be “critical about a lot of what he’s doing,” but acknowledged that his perspective on Trump changed after the visit.
“You can hate me for it, but I’m not a liar,” Maher stated. “Trump was gracious and measured, and why he isn’t that way in other settings, I don’t know, and I can’t answer that. It’s not my place to answer. I’m just telling you what I saw, and I wasn’t high.”
He added, “So, MAGA fans, don’t worry; your boy gave me nothing—just hats and a generous amount of time and a willingness to listen, accepting me as a possible friend, even though I’m not MAGA, which was the point of the dinner.”
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