Bill Maher answers Trump's long post about their dinners

A dispute between President Donald Trump and comedian Bill Maher escalated on Friday after the president published a 1,300-word post on Truth Social earlier in the week. Maher responded during the opening monologue of his show, Real Time, by holding up printed pages of the message and addressing specific paragraphs line by line. The exchange centers on the tone of their private meetings and the accuracy of their public exchanges.

Maher described the social dynamic of dining with the president using a comparison to pop culture. He stated, "Eating with Trump is like dating Taylor Swift. It’s a lot of laughs at the time, but later on they’re tearing you a new asshole, I tell you." He clarified that his intent for their gatherings was to maintain a respectful disagreement. "The whole point of having these dinners was talk, disagree, but listen, which he does in person, but don’t hate each other," Maher said.

The host also challenged the president's assessment of his intelligence regarding Iran. Trump’s post claimed Maher did not view the removal of nuclear capabilities from Iran as a positive move. Maher played a montage of his own clips where he affirmed the decision. After the video, he asked the audience, "So, am I smart now?"

The final point of contention involved who initiated contact. Trump’s post instructed Maher to never call him again. Maher corrected the record by noting he had never reached out first. "I’ve never called you. You called me," he said. He mocked the idea of uninvited visits to the White House, adding, "As if you could do that. ‘Sir, Bill Maher is here. Well, he’s not invited, but it’s the law.’"