President Donald Trump hosted longtime critic and comedian Bill Maher for a private dinner at the White House, Monday night, April 1 (April Fool’s Day), following a request by their mutual friend, musician Kid Rock.
The dinner also included UFC President Dana White. It marked the first time Maher had visited the White House.
“It was so pleasant,” Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said on “Fox & Friends.” “The most shocking thing to me was Bill is obviously a big liberal and hard on the president, but he’s donated a lot of money to other politicians… [Maher] had never been to the White House. The president was so gracious.”
Trump, who had previously expressed reluctance about the meeting, acknowledged in a Truth Social post that the gathering was arranged as a favor to Kid Rock.
Kid Rock mentioned that the president contacted him late at night Monday, expressing uncertainty about the upcoming dinner. Trump reportedly questioned what he was getting himself into.
The group reportedly discussed topics such as border security, U.S. policy on Iran and Israel, and what Kid Rock described as efforts to “end wokeness.”
According to Kid Rock, Trump also gave the guests a tour of the White House, including the Lincoln Bedroom where they viewed a copy of the Gettysburg Address.
Maher, who hosts HBO’s “Real Time,” had previously confirmed the meeting in a preview of his “Club Random” podcast. Despite anticipating criticism from his liberal audience, he said he accepted the invitation to avoid “mean girls” style political exclusion.
Trump and Maher have had a publicly antagonistic relationship spanning more than a decade. In 2013, Trump filed a $5 million lawsuit against Maher after the comedian joked that he would give $5 million to charity if Trump could prove he wasn’t “the result of his mother mating with an orangutan.” Trump eventually dropped the lawsuit.
Trump had criticized Maher several times over the years, describing his “Real Time” show as “dull” and claiming the comedian has an obsessive dislike of him.
Late last year, Maher suggested that he might step away from his show, “Real Time,” as he had no desire to endure covering another Trump presidential term.
“Everyone’s mind was blown,” Kid Rock said about the overall mood of the dinner.
The meeting comes amid efforts by Kid Rock to foster political dialogue, and follows visits to the White House by other prominent business figures, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump’s invitation came as a favor to his friend Kid Rock, who visited the White House on Monday. Social media users mocked Republicans after Kid Rock showed up in casual attire during his visit.
The musician, a staunch supporter of the MAGA movement who previously criticized Bud Light before reversing course, donned a patriotic red, white, and blue outfit in the Oval Office as President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at combating ticket scalping and price gouging.
When asked whether he would consider wearing an outfit like the musician’s, Trump said he might, and mentioned a “big event coming up,” possibly alluding to his “Liberation Day” on Wednesday, April 2.
Critics called out conservatives for a perceived double standard on fashion, pointing to right-wing reporter Brian Glenn’s criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit during a recent Oval Office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance humiliated him.
After the dinner, Kid Rock appeared jubilant, saying that it seemed that Trump and Maher may have discovered some common ground, despite the comedian joking that he wouldn’t end up “wearing a MAGA hat.”
After dining with Trump, Maher hinted that he has plenty to share about the experience. He posted an update on X on Tuesday afternoon about the meeting. “Thanks, everyone, for the interest in my dinner with the president last night—I’ll share everything on the next @RealTimers on April 11,” Maher wrote.
He also joked, “Since it’s April 1 today, no one would believe me anyway!”
