President Donald Trump unexpectedly hosted a celebrity dinner at the White House on Thursday night, inviting a mix of personalities including comedian Bill Maher, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, and musician Kid Rock.
As Trump left the White House on Friday, he shared that the dinner was quite enjoyable. “The dinner last night with Kid Rock and Stephen A. [Smith] and Bill Maher was great,” he remarked to reporters, adding that he believed they all had a good time. Interestingly, he suggested that Maher might actually hold him in better regard than most people think.
Although Trump didn’t go into detail about their conversation, he implied that the evening was filled with various discussions. “We talked about everything. It lasted a long time,” he stated.
Trump expressed admiration for all three guests, adding a few more details about their evening together. “And I actually liked them,” he stated, describing the dinner as informative and lively. He even mentioned giving a brief tour of the ballroom during their time together. It sounds like they had a rewarding experience, at least from Trump’s perspective.
Regarding Maher, who has often criticized Trump, the president commented, “He likes me a lot more than people understand,” indicating a mutual respect that perhaps isn’t fully recognized in the public eye.
In previous encounters, Maher has sometimes softened his critiques of Trump. After dining with the president back in April 2025, he admitted that some of his previous impressions may have been incorrect, asserting that Trump was more self-aware in private than he had anticipated.
However, Maher’s criticisms haven’t been silenced; he has also mocked Trump’s foreign policies and predicted a tough electoral future for the Republicans. His relationship with Trump might seem contradictory, but these kinds of dinners often come with both opportunities and challenges in terms of public perception.
The dynamics of such high-profile interactions are complex. Public relations experts suggest that attendees of these dinners should come prepared to navigate media questions which can arise afterward. This last dinner, like others, held both risks and potential benefits for everyone involved.
