'Highly overrated lightweight': Trump blasts Bill Maher, calls him 'jerk'
What's the story
US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his thoughts on a 2025 dinner meeting with Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and the host of Real Time. In his lengthy post, he called the evening a "total waste of time" and said that Maher is "no different" from his late-night TV rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. The post was likely triggered by Maher's recent mocking of Trump's claims about China "terminating ice hockey in Canada" over trade deals.
Meeting details
Trump recalled the dinner in his post
In his post, Trump recalled the dinner with Maher at the White House and called him a "jerk." He wrote, "T.V. Host Bill Maher asked to have dinner with me through one of his friends...and I agreed." "He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be. He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself and, to soothe his nerves, immediately...asked for a 'Vodka Tonic.'"
Criticism
Maher was 'very respectful' during their meeting, claimed Trump
Trump further wrote, "Anyway, we had a great dinner...he seemed to be a nice guy and...for his first show after our dinner, he was very respectful about our meeting." However, he was highly critical of Maher's reaction to his joking statement about China terminating ice hockey in Canada. Trump said Maher "went on and on" about the hockey statement as if he were serious.
Ratings
Trump's dig at Maher's television ratings
Trump also took a dig at Maher's ratings, calling him a "highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT." He wrote, "Fortunately, his television ratings are so low that nobody will learn about his various fake news statements about me." "He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert but...slightly more talented! Anyway, Bill Maher is a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT...I'd much rather spend my time MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him."
Contrasting account
Earlier, this is what Maher said about Trump
In April 2025, Maher gave a much more flattering account of his dinner with Trump. On an episode of Real Time, he described Trump as "gracious" and "much more self-aware than he lets on in public." He said, "The guy I met is not the guy who the night before the dinner s*it-tweeted a bunch of nasty crap about how this dinner was a bad idea and what a deranged a**hole I was."