Maher Fires Back After Trump Calls White House Dinner 'Waste of Time'
Maher responded on Friday to Trump's Valentine's Day Truth Social post that called their March 2025 White House dinner 'a total waste of time.'
Overview
On Friday's Real Time, Bill Maher responded to President Trump's Valentine's Day Truth Social post that called their March 2025 White House dinner 'a total waste of time.'
Trump's Truth Social post said Maher was 'extremely nervous' and 'immediately' asked for a 'Vodka Tonic,' called him low-rated, and faulted Maher for misreading a joke about China making Canada give up hockey, Trump wrote.
Maher denied he was scared, called Trump's claim 'bulls---,' corrected that his drink was a margarita, joked he now knows 'how women feel,' and said he would address the 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' dig, Maher said.
The dinner was arranged in April 2025 by Kid Rock and included UFC CEO Dana White, and Trump also lumped Maher with late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel in his rant.
Maher teased he will disprove the 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' diagnosis at the end of his next show and said he plans to address other digs in an upcoming episode.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the exchange as a comic, personal spat by foregrounding Maher’s humorous rebuttals and emphasizing Trump’s sharp, dismissive retorts. Editorial choices—sensational verbs, selective lead placement of Maher’s comeback, and prominence given to insulting language—shape a narrative that privileges entertainment value over deeper political context.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Bill Maher met with President Trump for a dinner arranged by Kid Rock in March 2025. According to Maher, the dinner was set up because they shared a belief that there had to be something better than hurling insults from a distance. Maher emphasized that the goal was to have dialogue despite their political differences, noting that he accepted Trump as a possible friend even though he is not MAGA.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that the March 2025 dinner was 'a total waste of time,' claiming Maher was extremely nervous, immediately ordered a vodka tonic, and misunderstood a joke about China and Canada. Maher responded by denying he was scared, calling Trump's claims 'bulls---,' and correcting that he actually ordered a margarita instead of a vodka tonic. Maher also joked that he now understands how women feel regarding such accusations.
The dinner was arranged by Kid Rock and also included UFC CEO Dana White, according to the details shared during Maher's appearance on Real Time.
Maher stated that Trump told him 'I thought maybe you'd be nice, but you hit me really hard,' referring to Maher's previous criticism. Maher explained that he wouldn't pull his punches about presidents proposing a third term, and he noted that Trump understood this perspective without animosity.
According to the transcript, both Maher and Trump acknowledged that while many people supported their dinner meeting, not everyone approved. Trump said he'd heard from people who liked that they were having the dinner, and Maher said the same thing happened to him. They agreed that people who didn't want them to talk together simply didn't like either of them.
History
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