Bill Maher is officially set to receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, with the honor to be presented during a June ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The confirmation comes after earlier denials from several allies of Donald Trump, who had dismissed reports of Maher’s selection.
The comedian responded to the recent announcement with his trademark humor, likening the honor to the kinds of awards he’s often nominated for but rarely wins.
Maher had also previously fired back at Trump and his camp, saying that the president suffers from “Maher derangement syndrome.”
Meanwhile, fan reaction online suggests growing fatigue with the ongoing exchange.
Bill Maher To Receive Prestigious Mark Twain Prize After Decades In Political Comedy
On March 26, 2026, the Kennedy Center confirmed that Maher will be this year’s recipient of its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2026, with the program set to stream on Netflix.
The prize is awarded to individuals deemed to have had an impact on American society in ways similar to Twain himself.
The legendary novelist became iconic not simply because he was funny, but also because he managed to turn humor into a tool for truth-telling and social criticism.
Maher is set to become the 27th recipient of the award, joining a distinguished list of past winners that includes Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Trump White House Officials Previously Dismissed The Notion As ‘Fake News’
Rumors of Maher’s selection as this year’s recipient first surfaced in a March 20 report by The Atlantic.
That initial account was quickly disputed, however, as officials from the White House moved to shut down the reports.
In a statement to the outlet, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Maher would not be the comedian chosen for the 2026 honor.
“This is fake news. Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award,” Leavitt said.
In a post on X, White House Communications director Steven Cheung echoed that sentiment, writing: “Literally FAKE NEWS.”
Maher is a frequent critic of Trump, whose name was controversially added to the center after a Trump-appointed board voted to rename it.
‘Like An Emmy, Except I Win’: Bill Maher Reacts To Mark Twain Prize
Following his confirmation as the 2026 honoree, Maher expressed his gratitude to the Kennedy Center for the recognition.
At the same time, he couldn’t resist poking fun at his long-running struggles in major award competitions.
“Thank you to the Mark Twain people,” Maher said in a public statement. “I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win.”
He also reflected on the significance of being associated with Twain, a widely respected literary provocateur.
“I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain,” Maher added.
A Timeline Of Trump’s Long-Running Feud With Maher
The feud between the pair first went mainstream in 2013, when Maher joked that Trump was the “son of an orangutan,” and offered to donate $5 million to charity if the New York businessman proved otherwise.
Although Trump later withdrew his subsequent lawsuit, the HBO host went on to become one of his biggest critics when the mogul became president in 2017.
After years of back-and-forth, the two appeared to be moving toward a potential reconciliation when the political commentator visited the White House in 2025.
Maher later described Trump as “gracious” and “measured,” but that détente was short-lived. The president soon resumed his attacks on the outspoken host, calling him a “lightweight” and “highly overrated” in a social media post.
Fans Say Donald Trump And Bill Maher ‘Deserve Each Other’
Neither Trump nor Maher is known for backing down from a fight.
Given initial reactions on social media, though, the public is starting to tire of their constant back-and-forth.
“Trump and Maher deserve each other,” one user on X wrote.
On Reddit, another frustrated commenter said, “Look, I hate Trump as much as the next guy. But I don’t know how giving awards to unfunny partisan hacks helps anything.”