Bill Maher appeared on his show “Real Time with Bill Maher” with some unexpected praise for President Trump following his visit to the White House.
In a meeting arranged and attended by Kid Rock, Maher joined President and Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) President Dana White for dinner at the White House.
Maher noted that Kid Rock had arranged the dinner because they share a desire to find common ground between opposing political viewpoints.
“We share a belief that there’s got to be something better than hurling insults from 3,000 miles away,” Maher said. “I’m not the leader of anything except maybe a contingent of centrist-minded people who think there’s got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute.”
Maher told his audience that in preparation for the dinner, he asked his staff to print a list of insults President Trump had tweeted about the comedian. “I brought this to the White House because I wanted him to sign it,” Maher said. “Which he did with good humor.”
Maher went on to point out that his stances on policy did not change after meeting Trump. “No, I didn’t go MAGA, and to the President’s credit, there was no pressure to,” Maher said. Instead of trying to sway him on issues, Maher said President Trump continuously asked for his opinion and listened to what he had to say.
Although Maher did not fully backtrack on his opinions of Trump, he did compliment his demeanor during the dinner. “I’m just taking it as a positive that this person exists,” Maher said. “Because everything I’ve ever not liked about him was…absent, at least on this night with this guy.”
Finally, Maher praised Trump for his sense of humor. “I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him. And honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump.” Maher said. “MAGA fans, don’t worry. Your boy gave me nothing, just hats. Hats and a very generous amount of time, and a willingness to listen and accept me as a possible friend even though I’m not MAGA which was the point of the dinner.”
