After the Trump administration objected to the selection of Bill Maher as this year’s recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the comedian joins his favorite friend for dinner.
Friday episode of Real timethe host said he was “honored to accept” the award and hoped Trump would “show up” at the event, which is usually held at the Kennedy Center, where POTUS has given his name.
Joking about Donald Trump receiving the first-ever America First award, Maher quipped, “But when we talk about awards, I finally got it.”
The audience applauded after White House director Steven Cheung called Mark Twain’s announcement “Fake News.”
“So, I was going to get it, and on Friday, at Trump’s, both of his spokespeople came out and said, ‘Fake news! Bill Maher never got it,'” Maher continued. “We have reached an agreement, OK? And the compromise is, I will get it, and I will give it to him. Everyone is happy. I just want things to be okay. And again, I want to thank you. I’m not looking for a fight, and I’m not mad that you did this. You know, the president and I have a complicated case, it’s complicated to the relationship. For a long time, he tried to prevent me from getting it, I respect the move, baby I’m all about engagement.
He added, “So, even though I see we’re back to him calling me a jerk, and I’m a ‘light-weight ratings loser’—get it off your chest, big man. I’m perfectly fine. I was so proud of these last insults you gave me, I put them on the list of insults that I brought to the White House for you to kindly sign while I was there. dumb,’ and ‘puffed-up sleazebag,’ ‘dummy,’ ‘terrible student,’ ‘a failed comedian,’ and ‘a sick, crazy, very sad, completely shot and crazy person,’ I am honored to accept the Mark Twain Award.
“And I’ll be there, Don, and I hope you’ll be there too. I mean, this place is named after you now, you really should show up. You can thank me personally for being one of the few people on the ‘lunatic left’ who are happy that you beat Iran, and hope that we win that one,” said Maher.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president for public affairs, previously confirmed that Maher would receive the award following Trump’s protest.
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Award has celebrated the greatest minds in humor,” said Daravi. “For a long time, Bill has been influencing American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time.”
With the event taking place on June 28 before the center’s two-year renovation closure, Maher will join other past recipients Richard Pryor, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Carol Burnett and David Letterman. Mel Brooks and Robin Williams have previously turned down the award.
