WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Bill Maher said Donald Trump invited him back to the White House for a second private dinner next week.
  • Maher said the latest invitation arrived unexpectedly after he resumed his usual commentary following their first dinner.
  • He criticized Larry David for objecting to his first Trump dinner while David’s own agent had also spoken with the president.
  • Maher said he felt more comfortable speaking with Trump than he would have felt talking with Bill Clinton or Barack Obama.

Bill Maher revealed Monday that President Donald Trump has invited him back to the White House for another private dinner. The meeting is scheduled to take place next week, following their first dinner last year, as reported by Just The News.

The left-wing political talk show host shared the news during an episode of his “Club Random” podcast. Maher discussed the invitation with Hollywood agent and producer Ari Emanuel, who represented Trump when he appeared on The Apprentice.

According to Maher, the second invitation arrived unexpectedly after he resumed his usual work following the first dinner. Despite being surprised by the request, Maher said he could not turn down an opportunity to meet with the president.

“I'm having dinner with him next week. After the first dinner, I went back to doing what I do,” Maher said on the podcast.

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Maher said Trump then proposed another meeting without warning. “Then he just, out of the blue, 'Let's have dinner again.' And I was like, great. And he was really nice. Like, 'I promise I won't say bad things about you like I did the last time.'”

The host said he responded by giving Trump permission to speak freely. Maher indicated that he valued the conversation more than any potentially harsh remarks the president might make afterward.

“I texted back, and I said, 'You know what, you're the President of the United States. Say whatever the f--- you want. I'm just glad we're talking,'” he added.

Maher compared receiving an insult from Trump to being mocked by comedian Don Rickles. “It's like being called a 'hockey puck' by Don Rickles. It's just what he does.”

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The podcast host also questioned why anyone would reject an invitation to dine with the president, regardless of party affiliation. Maher said it “blows my mind” that someone would refuse such an invitation solely because of political differences.

His comments also addressed comedian Larry David, who criticized Maher’s first dinner with Trump. Maher argued that David’s position looked inconsistent because David’s own agent had also recently spoken with the president.

“It's so interesting to me that Larry David, like, I'm the devil because I talk to him, but his own agent just talked to him on Monday,” Maher said. “You must recognize the hypocrisy there. Somehow, when it's his own agent doing the exact same thing, this is, then we don't play the Hitler card.”

Maher has become known for criticizing members of his own Democratic Party, even as he continues to identify political disagreements. His willingness to speak with Trump has drawn attention because he has publicly discussed both his criticism of the president and his comfort during their private conversation.

The invitation follows Maher’s dinner with Trump last year. After that meeting, Maher said he felt comfortable speaking openly and did not believe he needed to walk on eggshells around the president.

Maher contrasted that experience with how he believed he would have felt speaking to former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He noted that he voted for both men but still found his conversation with Trump unusually relaxed.

“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.

Maher has also praised Trump for having “good humor.” With the second dinner now scheduled for next week, Maher is again defending his decision to maintain direct communication with the president despite criticism from figures such as David.

The coming dinner will mark Maher’s second private meeting with Trump after last year’s encounter. For Maher, the invitation is not something to reject, even when the president remains a frequent subject of his political commentary.

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