Trump Describes 'Great Dinner' with Bill Maher, Stephen A. Smith
The president said he dined Thursday with the comedian and sports commentator, calling them 'smart people' he likes.
President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that he had a "great dinner" the previous evening with comedian Bill Maher and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. Trump described the gathering as "very informative" and said that both men, despite their public personas, "like Trump, and I actually like them."
"We even took a little tour of the ballroom. We went inside the ballroom with beams that are being put up over our heads," Trump told reporters Friday before departing for a campaign trip to Georgia. He added that it was a dinner with "smart people."
News of the dinner first emerged on social media from a Washington D.C. bar, Madams Organ, which posted photos of Maher and Smith at the establishment. The bar's post indicated the two had visited before their "dinner date at the White House w His Orangeness," celebrating Smith's birthday.
This meeting comes despite past public criticism. In June 2026, Trump referred to Smith as an "arrogant fool" with a "low IQ" after the commentator criticized the president's attendance at a New York Knicks game. Trump had stated at the time that running for president requires a "high IQ" which he questioned if Smith possessed.
Maher has also dined with Trump at the White House previously. Following a prior dinner, Maher commented on his HBO show that the president "plays a crazy person on TV," but added that the reality was "just not as f–ed up as I thought it was."
