Trump on Bill Maher turned sharply critical on Sunday, October 25, 2026. President Donald Trump released a roughly 1,300-word Truth Social post that called the HBO host a “complete and total loser,” a “major POTHEAD,” a “dumb SLEAZEBAG,” a “coward,” and a “hopeless guy.” The message followed Maher’s Friday monologue on Real Time with Bill Maher, in which he defended their October 15 White House dinner while continuing to criticize administration policies.
The second dinner took place on October 15. Kid Rock and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith joined Maher at the White House. Trump told reporters the next day that the gathering was “great” and “very informative.” He added that Maher “likes me a lot more than people understand” and that the guests “have to put on a certain little facade for their people.” Maher later said the meal lasted about four hours. Trump disputed that figure in his Sunday post, writing that it lasted “two hours, maybe less” and that “we have the timestamps.”
The Second Dinner and Immediate Aftermath
Maher disclosed the upcoming dinner earlier in October on his Club Random podcast. He said the invitation arrived “out of the blue” and that Trump promised not to criticize him afterward as he had after their first meeting. Maher texted back that the president could say whatever he wanted because “you’re the president of the United States.”
On the October 23 episode of Real Time, Maher opened by addressing critics of the visit. “Yeah, I did it again, bitches,” he said. “I know I’m the bad guy because I go and say face-to-face to the man the things you write in articles that he’ll never read, but okay. You know what? F— you. I like these dinners.”
He described the evening as lengthy because “I had a lot to bitch about.” Topics included the Supreme Court, ICE shootings, Starlink, Afghans who assisted U.S. forces, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, comments about Barack Obama, President Xi Jinping, and the 2020 election. Maher noted that Trump “never lost his temper. He never yelled. He never interrupted me. I did.” He added that he “could not have been treated better if I was Russian.”
Maher also joked about Trump’s comments on men’s physiques and said he felt slighted after four hours with no similar remarks directed at him. He praised Karoline Leavitt’s appearance on the same episode, telling her that Trump “looks you in the eye, he never interrupts, he never gets mad, he listens.”
Trump’s October 25 Post
Trump’s Truth Social message began: “Let’s talk about this COMPLETE AND TOTAL LOSER, Bill Maher. He’s got a Low Rated Show on equally Low Rated HBO, which was once, long ago, a Network of Quality and Excitement — But that’s all gone. It’s not ‘HOT’ anymore!”
The president recounted contact through mutual associates Chuck LaBella and Kid Rock. He said LaBella repeatedly claimed Maher “loves” and respects him and sought meetings. Trump described the first 2025 dinner as one in which Maher appeared nervous and asked for a drink. He noted a “seriously bruised eye and nose area.” After that meeting, Trump said Maher initially offered positive coverage then “reverted back to his former self.”
On the second dinner, Trump wrote that Maher “was drunk and had alcohol in his hand as he walked through the White House.” He called the gathering “a good meeting” where “everybody was happy” but concluded, “I learned nothing, and felt it was a waste of time.” He stated he had told associates Maher is a “major POTHEAD” and that the comedian “looked like hell this time.”
Trump rejected Maher’s claims about low presidential ratings. He cited CNN polls showing high Republican support and described himself as “The Most Influential President of the Last Century.” He disputed Maher’s comments on California voting, writing that Maher “lied about all of the Illegal Voters in the Radical controlled, decrepit, and devastated State of California. Just in the last few days alone, they found 20,000, and the number could easily go to over 1,000,000.”
He criticized Maher’s view of U.S. actions regarding Iran, stating that Maher “doesn’t think it was a good thing to take the Nuclear Weapon away from Iran.” Trump also took issue with Maher’s remarks about Republican candidates, citing his own endorsement record.
The post ended with a direct instruction: “Bill: Don’t call anymore. It’s useless, and tell Chuck LaBella not to call so much… You’re not transformative, you’re a Loser! I never watched your show much, but I will never watch it again, because it is nothing more than FAKE NEWS… Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Trump also addressed a separate point, stating he is “not building a swimming pool in the White House Briefing Room” and has considered relocating the press for space reasons. He praised Leavitt’s performance on Real Time while criticizing the questions directed at her.
Earlier Interactions
The first White House dinner occurred in April 2025 and was arranged by Kid Rock. Maher described Trump afterward on Real Time as “gracious and measured” and different from the persona seen on television. He insisted he was not high during the visit.
In February 2026, Trump posted that the 2025 dinner was a “total waste of time.” He called Maher a “highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT,” compared him unfavorably to other late-night hosts while noting he was “slightly more talented,” and said the comedian suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Maher responded on air, disputed details of the dinner account, and said the president suffered from “Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome.”
Additional exchanges occurred throughout 2026. Trump criticized Maher’s ratings in September. Maher predicted strong midterm losses for Republicans and stated that Trump “screwed the pooch.” The comedian also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in June 2026.
Current Status
As of October 25, 2026, Trump has stated he has no interest in further contact. “Don’t call anymore. It’s useless,” he wrote. Maher has not issued a public response to the latest post. HBO has not commented.
The pattern remains consistent. Private meetings produce relatively civil exchanges. Public commentary resumes afterward, followed by social-media criticism from the president. Maher continues to argue that direct conversation is preferable to distant criticism, while Trump maintains that Maher returns to criticism once the dinner ends.
Readers following the latest exchanges between the president and the Real Time host can track further developments as they occur.
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