Bill Maher Defends Going To See Donald Trump At The White House
By Afouda Bamidele on April 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM EDT
Bill Maher is standing by his comments on Donald Trump being "one of the most effective politicians."
The comedian, well known for throwing jabs at the politician, changed his tune after breaking bread with the POTUS. However, his complete 180 did not sit right with many who criticized him.
Despite the online backlash, Bill Maher refused to take back his comments about Donald Trump. Instead, he doubled down on being right in a recent appearance on the "2 Angry Men" podcast.
Bill Maher Has No Regrets About His Dinner With Donald Trump
Maher did not mince his words against critics, stressing that he never gave up his principles during his dinner with Trump. He emphasized that he spoke "truth to the power," claiming he told the president the things he probably never heard.
He defended himself for wisely using the opportunity to talk to Trump, arguing that he would never lie about the outcome of his meeting with the president even if it displeased people. "They wanted to hear that he was the same monster that they see in public, and he wasn't," Maher said.
"I'm proud that I was able to go into the White House and say to the President of the United States, look him in the eye and say, 'You're scaring people. Doesn't bother you that you're scaring so many of your own citizens,'" the TV personality recalled, per the video shared by TMZ on YouTube.
The Comedian Addressed His Infamous 'Orangutan' Drama With The POTUS
Maher doubled down on being proud of himself for confronting Trump during their dinner conversation, revealing they addressed the bad blood between them. The duo butted heads in 2012 after Maher implied Trump's father was an orangutan.
Maher argued that the animal's fur matched the politician's hair, resulting in a $5 million lawsuit from Trump. "When we talked about the orangutan thing, I didn't apologize," the comedian claimed. He noted he explained his side of the story to the POTUS, saying:
"I did that because you were making fun and mocking Obama's birth origins, and I thought that was low. So I should be a hero for going there and doing those things and saying those things to the president. I'm not the villain here."
Maher Mocked Democratic Party's Gretchen Whitmer
Maher's defense continued with shots at the Democratic Party's Gretchen Whitmer. He noted there were two ways to participate in the Oval Office: be bold like him or act like the Governor of Michigan.
Whitmer made waves for covering her face with binders after a photographer tried to take a picture of her in the Oval Office. Maher stressed that her method wasn't his way of doing things; however, he acknowledged that his confrontation might not impact Trump.
"Do I have great hopes that saying anything to him is gonna change anything? No, but you have to try. What again, as opposed to what? Not engaging? Just I mean, for the Democrats, you lost everything. You have no power. You have nothing," Maher declared.
The 'Real Time with Bill Maher' Host Acknowledged The President's Monarchy System
While speaking to Democrats, Maher stressed that they had lost all their power with Trump's second regime. He compared the POTUS' administration to sovereignty, implying those against him needed to be more proactive instead of hiding behind binders like Whitmer.
"We're slowly becoming just much more of a monarchy, but you don't wanna talk to the king at all? You don't wanna talk to him? That's gonna fix everything?" Maher queried Democrats. The former Trump critic sang the president's praises following their dinner conversation earlier this month.
The Blast covered the story, reporting the TV personality raved about his new love for Trump on his "Club Random" podcast. "Trump really … is one of the most effective politicians … whatever you think of the policy and him as a person," Maher said.
Inside Bill Maher's Comments About Donald Trump
Maher applauded Trump for his originality, noting as a politician, he wasn't "phony" and leaned into being who he was. One of his favorite moments involving the president was his bold threat to the Taliban over the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"When he did that thing where the guy came in from the Taliban, and he said, 'This is an aerial picture of your house. If during our withdrawal one American is hurt, just know I know where you live,'" Maher recalled.
He noted the moment had a special place in his heart, adding: "I was like, 'Oh, can we just play the music now? Because I don't care, it's Donald Trump, and he's the worst person ever, blah, blah, blah — I f-cking love that!'"
Will Bill Maher remain a Donald Trump supporter, or will his tune change if the president falls below his expectations?
