After the Trump administration protested Bill Maher‘s selection as this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient, the comedian is engaging with his favorite dinner companion.
On Friday’s episode of Real Time, the host said he’s “honored to accept” the award and hopes Trump will “show up” to the ceremony traditionally held at the Kennedy Center, on which the POTUS has slapped his name.
Joking about Donald Trump receiving the first-ever America First Award, Maher segued, “But speaking of awards, I’m finally getting one.”
The audience lit up with applause after White House comms director Steven Cheung previously called the Mark Twain announcement “Literally FAKE NEWS.”
“So, I was gonna get it, and then Friday, Trump’s, both his spokespeople came out and said, ‘Fake news! Bill Maher is never getting it,’” Maher continued. “We have reached a compromise, OK? And the compromise is, I am going to get it, and then I’m going to give it to him. Everybody’s happy. I just want things to work out. And also, I want to say thank you. I’m not looking for a fight, and I’m not mad that he did this. You know what, me and the president have a complicated relationship. It goes back to the orangutan lawsuit, you know, this has been going on a long time. So, him trying to block me from getting it, I respect the move. Keep the game going, baby. I’m all about engagement. Disengagement gets you nothing. You’ve got to engage.”
He added, “So, even though I see we’re back to him calling me jerk, and I’m a ‘light-weight ratings loser’—get it off your chest big man. I’m totally fine with it. I was proud of these last insults you gave me, I added them to the list of insults that I brought to the White House that you signed graciously while I was there. So, I would just like to say, as a ‘low-ratings lightweight,’ and ‘a rather dumb guy,’ and ‘a pathetic bloated sleazebag,’ a ‘dummy,’ a ‘terrible student,’ a ‘nervous failing comedian,’ and ‘someone who is sick, insane, very sad, totally shot and a crazy maniac,’ I am honored to accept the Mark Twain Award. Thank you very much.
“And I will be there, Don, and I hope you will be too. I mean, the place is named after you now, you really should show up. You could thank me in person for being one of the few people on the ‘lunatic left’ who’s glad you hit Iran, and is hoping we win that one,” said Maher.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, previously reaffirmed Maher will receive the award following Trump’s protest.
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” said Daravi. “For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse — one politically incorrect joke at a time.”
With the ceremony taking place June 28 before the center’s two-year renovation closure, Maher will join the likes of previous recipients Richard Pryor, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Carol Burnett and David Letterman. Mel Brooks and Robin Williams have previously refused the award.