Bill Maher Hits Back at Donald Trump in ‘Real Time’: “Suffering from Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome”
Bill Maher takes a swipe at Donald Trump after the president applauded him on Valentine’s Day on Truth Social.
During Friday night’s episode Real timethe comedian talked about Trump’s recent posts criticizing him and their dinner together — and once again responded to the president’s favorite insult.
“Someone should help Donald Trump understand that I’m not suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. He’s suffering from Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome,” Maher said. “Three weeks ago, I woke up to some things that the president wrote on the Truth Social social media platform that are somehow not true.
Maher then pushed back on Trump’s version of their meeting, particularly the claim that he had asked for dinner and nervously ordered a drink within seconds of arriving.
“But on this occasion, he did it, which I forgave him, but on Valentine’s Day, that was painful,” said Maher. “But to set the record straight on what the president said, I didn’t ask for dinner. A mutual friend asked me. It’s recorded on my podcast. Also, I wasn’t shocked and nervous, and dinner isn’t fast.”
According to Maher, the dinner actually lasted “three hours,” and the tone was more relaxed than Trump later suggested.
“I was having fun, and you, Don, because we were talking like real people, not like that crazy thing you do in front of people,” he added. But I know that’s what you do. If anything, he is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. And you have done so here, writing about the things you have accomplished and how you feel hurt that people, including me, have not seen you enough.”
Maher also revealed that Trump texted her after dinner and called her “a piece of crazy left.” But after the two argued “for a while,” Maher said the president eventually calmed down.
“That’s a normal person I saw the night we broke the bread,” said Maher. “And as long as I think there’s a chance to get that guy out. I won’t look at the dinner as a ‘waste of time,’ now that I see we’re back on the phone and I’ve got some new ‘highly overrated lightweights’ to add to the signed list.”
Still, Maher made it clear that his willingness to sit down with Trump does not mean he supports criticism.
The host challenged the president to stop doing things that “make people crazy,” accusing him of actions that are “racist, misogynist, anti-democratic and corrupt.”
Maher also tried to prove that he doesn’t have a “TDS scare,” pointing to times when he supported some of Trump’s policies.
“I consider myself lucky to talk to you without giving you a 747 or buying you cryptocurrency or giving you a Nobel Prize,” he said, before sharing clips of himself supporting Trump’s positions on Israel, NATO and marijuana.
“You see, that’s the difference between you and me, Don, I can admit when I’m wrong and I can tell the truth,” said Maher. “Actually, I would be the last of the crazy people left who is an honest merchant when it comes to you.”
He added: “It’s a shame you can’t criticize it, because somewhere else where we can have more honest conversations, I can say things to you that might be really helpful, like, ‘Don, I’m going to agree with you. I’m going to give it to you straight. Some people don’t like you.'”
Maher also focused on the actions of Trump and his allies – including the use of ICE, Elon Musk’s DOGE and what he described as the president’s adjustment to “Canada and the air.”
“It’s not surprising to me that I always call out the feelings of rejecting the election that you have or the way of ruling-forgive-my-friends-and-punish-my-enemies or the side deals of your family that always seem to be part of everything,” he said. “We see how rich you all have become, but the people of West Virginia don’t seem to have won. A Democratic senator recently said of your administration, ‘They are the leaders they pretend to hate.’ Free advice, if the Democrats ever learn to use that message, your MAGA organization is in big trouble. “
Maher’s response comes three weeks after Trump blasted the late-night host on Truth Social and described their dinner as “a complete waste of time.”
“Sometimes in life you waste time! TV host Bill Maher asked me to have dinner with one of his friends, also a friend of mine, and I agreed,” wrote Trump. “He came into the famous Oval Office very different than I thought he would be.”
The moderator went on to say that Maher was “very nervous” and immediately ordered a drink.
“She was very nervous, had ZERO confidence and, to calm her nerves, quickly, within seconds, asked for a ‘Vodka Tonic,'” Trump wrote. He said to me, ‘I’ve never felt like this, I’m actually scared.’ Somehow, it was somehow lovely!”
Trump added that Maher continues to suffer from “a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!),” writing that “nothing will ever be done to cure him of this terrible disease.”
