PoliticsDonald Trump Claims Bill Maher 'Likes Me a Lot More Than People Understand' Despite Their Public Feud
Donald Trump praised Bill Maher after their recent dinner.
Oct. 19 2026, Published 8:53 a.m. ET
Donald Trump has long been fixated on celebrity opinions, and after a recent dinner with Kid Rock, Stephen A. Smith and Bill Maher, he made sure to remind the media that they liked him, and made a special point of drawing attention to Maher’s attitude.
“Bill Maher, I tell you what, he likes me a lot more than people understand, and I actually like him,” Trump said.
'They Have to Put on a Certain Little Facade'
Donald Trump took the opportunity to plug his ballroom project.
He used the occasion of the dinner to drive home their opinions.
“Even though they have to put on a certain little facade for their people, they like Trump,” he said, using his habit of referring to himself in the third person before bringing up his favorite recent hobby. “We even took a little tour of the ballroom, with beams that were being put up over our heads.”
'Bill Maher's Ratings Are so Low'
Donald Trump heavily criticized Bill Maher earlier this year.
Trump’s invitation to Real Time host Maher came as a surprise, as he has long been a critic of the TV host. "Bill Maher’s ratings are so low that it is hard to believe his show can continue,” Trump posted on Truth Social last month. "In many ways it’s SAD because, in actuality, I like him. Republicans should stop using him as a sounding board, however. It makes them look sooo weak and foolish!"
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'Bill Maher Is a MORON'
Kid Rock is among the celebrities who most support Donald Trump.
In another post, Trump compared Maher to another of his comedic nemeses: Jimmy Kimmel. “Bill Maher is a MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel," Trump fumed. “I hate seeing Fox, and other Conservative Outlets, constantly making Low Rated Bill Maher ‘relevant’ as it pertains to the Republican Party, and beyond."
'I'm Just Glad We're Talking'
This was Bill Maher's second dinner with Donald Trump.
This was their second dinner together of Trump’s second term in office. The first, in March 2025, didn’t seem to go so well for either.
"Someone has to help Donald Trump understand that I don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, he suffers from Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome," Maher said shortly after the dinner.
When invited to the second dinner, Maher noted, "I'm just glad we're talking."
Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center earlier this year. Even that instance was marred by bizarre politics, as then-White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared that reports he would receive the award were “fake news.”
