Bill Maher brushes off liberal critics ahead of Trump meeting

• Bill Maher confirmed plans to meet President Trump, marking their first public interaction. Despite past criticism of Trump, Maher expressed readiness to engage in dialogue, even if it draws backlash.
• Maher has a history of taking sharp jabs at Trump, including a 2013 lawsuit Trump filed over a joke comparing him to an orangutan.
• While no date is set, Maher joked about dressing respectfully for the meeting and emphasized respecting Trump’s election win.

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Plans for a meeting between Bill Maher and President Donald Trump are underway, thanks to a surprising connection –– Kid Rock. The comedian confirmed the news on a recent episode of his “Club Random” podcast with guest Andrew Schulz.

In the episode, Maher said Kid Rock had told him, “I want you to meet Trump,” before offering to bring him to the White House. Maher added, “So now we’re going to do that.”

Maher’s history with Trump

Maher’s upcoming meeting with Trump marks a notable shift. While the television host is known for criticizing both political parties, he’s taken sharp jabs at Trump in the past.

In 2013, Trump filed a $5 million lawsuit against Maher, which he later dropped. The case stemmed from a joke Maher made on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where he mocked Trump’s obsession with Barack Obama’s birth certificate. Maher sarcastically said he’d donate $5 million to charity if Trump could prove he wasn’t the son of an orangutan.

In a March 2025 interview with CNN, Maher expressed concern about the staying power of Trump’s political movement. Still, he says he’s ready to talk, regardless of criticism from his usual base.

“There will be lots of people on the left who will be like, ‘How dare you talk to this man,’” Maher said on the podcast. “It’s like, F— you, I’m not playing this game that you mean girls play. Oh, you know what? You can’t sit at my lunch table because I’m just not talking to you.’”

Maher jokes about his outfit for the White House

The Maher-Trump meeting would be their first public, face-to-face interaction. While no date has been confirmed, Maher joked he plans to dress respectfully for the occasion — not casually like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent White House visit.

Maher emphasized that, no matter where one stands politically, “you have to respect that [Trump] won the election.”