Trump Hosts White House Dinner With 3 Celebrity Guests, Praising Frequent Critic Bill Maher
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 17
Trump Hosts White House Dinner With 3 Celebrity Guests, Praising Frequent Critic Bill Maher
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 17
Summary
Thursday night’s White House dinner brought together Donald Trump, Bill Maher, Stephen A. Smith and Kid Rock in an unexpected celebrity gathering Trump disclosed to reporters on Friday.
Trump said the meal "lasted a long time," covered "everything" and included a tour of the ballroom, where beams are being installed overhead.
Bill Maher drew the most attention because he has repeatedly criticized Trump, though Trump said the comedian "likes me a lot more than people understand" and called the dinner a good one.
April 2025 offers the closest precedent: Maher previously attended a White House dinner with Trump and later said the president was "gracious and measured" in private despite his public attacks.
June and the run-up to the midterms show the tension around the meeting, with Maher recently mocking Trump’s Iran agreement and predicting Republicans would take a "historical a—whooping."