Trump hits Bill Maher with stunning insult as comedian is announced as recipient of prestigious prize… only to have it ‘yanked away in sudden U-turn’
While controversial comedian Bill Maher is reportedly expected to win a prestigious award at this year’s Kennedy Center awards, the White House has made a strange intervention in the duo’s years-long feud.
Maher has reportedly been offered the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has a long history of honoring the best in comedy.
Sources told Atlantic And CNN He said Maher was chosen to win the award on Friday, but just hours later the White House responded to the news with a stunning denial.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the reports as ‘fake news’ and added: ‘Bill Maher will NOT receive this award.’
Trump’s Communications Director Steven Cheung also responded to The Atlantic’s report on X: ‘Literally FAKE NEWS.’
Three sources confirmed to The Atlantic that Maher was selected for the award, but there were differing accounts of whether he accepted the award.
One source said an official announcement is expected soon, while another said Trump was aware that Maher was offered the reward and supported it.
Another source told CNN that Maher was told he was chosen and was seriously considering it, but did not officially accept the honor.
Donald Trump and Bill Maher have been publicly criticizing each other for years and frequently hurling insults. The two are seen above together at the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004.
The White House has denied that Bill Maher was offered a prestigious comedy award at the Kennedy Center. Trump is pictured above outside the White House on Friday
Accounts differed as to whether Bill Maher officially accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Above is a photo of him taken on the HBO show
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
The two have a long and complex relationship; They trade blows in public most of the time, but occasionally share friendly moments.
Maher attended a dinner at the White House in April 2025. At that time, he faced reaction from the comedy community.
But that kindness didn’t last long, with Trump attacking Maher on social media after the comedian criticized his administration.
In February, Trump described Maher as an “overrated LIGHT” and said the 2025 dinner was a waste of time.
“He arrived in the famous Oval Office much differently than I thought he would,” Trump wrote on social media.
‘He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence and immediately asked for a Vodka Tonic within seconds to calm his nerves.’
The president added that Maher admitted he had never felt this nervous before, and Trump joked that the encounter was “cute.”
Maher, speaking at the infamous dinner on the HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher, called the president at the time “kind and measured,” adding that he was willing to “listen to me and accept me as a possible friend.”
Donald Trump shared a series of posts on Truth Social stating that he regretted inviting Bill Maher to the White House for dinner earlier this month.
Maher responded to the posts by saying that he did not experience ‘Trump Imbalance Syndrome’ on his show
Trump’s tone changed after his social media posts earlier this year. Last month, Maher said that he did not experience ‘Trump Imbalance Syndrome’ and accused the president of having ‘Bill Maher Imbalance Syndrome’.
He joked that the dinner was like a bad date and told his audience: ‘I know how women feel now; A man buys you dinner and then expects you to make love. ‘I’m not that guy.’
Maher also told CNN earlier this year that Trump frequently “yelled” at him via text for being part of the “crazy left.”
The comedian’s political beliefs have come under constant scrutiny throughout his decades-long career.
His show Politically Incorrect aired on Comedy Central in 1993, at which time he positioned himself as a controversial truth-teller.
The program was taken off the air after Maher called the US government “cowards” following the September 11 attacks.
Maher attended a dinner at the White House with Trump, Kid Rock and Dana White last March.
Kid Rock (left) coordinated the dinner. Maher said Trump was ‘kind’ but the president later admitted he regretted hosting the comedian
Maher describes himself as a center-left comedian and often addresses controversial topics on his show. Above is a photo of her at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Maher’s politics now tend to lean center-left. In his 2024 book, What This Comedian Says Will Shock You, he told readers that his beliefs remained consistent but that the left had become more radical.
Had Maher won the Mark Twain Award this year, he would have joined comedians such as Conan O’Brien, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Carol Burnett.
O’Brien won the award in 2025 before the Kennedy Center was renamed the Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the president cleaned house on the board of trustees.
The Kennedy family frequently opposed the president’s takeover of the center, promising to eventually remove his name from the title.
