Bill Maher receives Mark Twain Prize amid controversy
The ceremony featured Trump jokes and came amid a legal fight over his influence at the Kennedy Center.
- On Sunday, comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington, though President Donald Trump became the primary punchline throughout the ceremony. Jay Leno and Woody Harrelson joined other entertainers in mocking the absent president.
- Legal turmoil has surrounded the Kennedy Center since Trump assumed control in January 2025. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled the name change illegal in May, ordering its removal and leaving the facade shrouded in a tarp.
- Harrelson joked "we fixed that" regarding the tarp, while Leno called the changes "hilarious" and "about vanity." The barbs reflected the fraught history between Maher and Trump, who filed a $5 million lawsuit against the comedian in 2013.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Sen. John Fetterman attended the gala, with Lutnick stating Trump "wants to make this building sensational." Maher also criticized "groupthink," saying "everyone hates you at some point" when you create something important.
- Future operations remain uncertain at the Kennedy Center, with Judge Cooper requesting an update next month on the tarp's removal timeline. The final scheduled event is 'The Freedom Gathering: A Musical Celebration' on July 3, before the gala airs on Netflix on July 21.
24 Articles
24 Articles
At Mark Twain Prize, Louis C.K. recalls Bill Maher's friendship after becoming an "outcast"
There is no doubt that Louis C.K. is back. He has a new Netflix special arriving on the streamer today, and, over the weekend, he helped honor Bill Maher with the Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center. In fact, C.K. recounted Maher being a particular ally to him after he admitted to sexual misconduct and saw his career derailed for a few years. (By 2022, he had won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album.) While honoring Maher, per The New York Times, C…
Not Even Trump Could Ruin Bill Maher’s Night
If you read certain accounts, you’d be under the impression that last night’s presentation of the Mark Twain Prize—to comedian Bill Maher—was actually all about Donald Trump.The Daily Beast: “Donald Trump Humiliated with Wild Epstein Joke at Kennedy Center.” The New York Times: “Even Absent, Trump Takes the Spotlight at a Night Celebrating Bill Maher.” The Washington Post: “President Donald Trump’s name is off the Kennedy Center, but on Sunday n…
Trump looms over Bill Maher's Mark Twain Prize ceremony: Best and worst moments
Though he wasn't in attendance, the current president was heavily referenced during the prestigious comedy event.Bill Maher accepts his Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy CenterCredit: Clifton Prescod/NETFLIXThe annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor typically marks one of comedy's biggest nights of the year. But the mood at the 2026 ceremony, which honored Bill Maher on Sunday night in Washington, D.C., was slightly differen…
The New York Ledger
Fox NewsBill Maher says Vance interview critics wouldn’t be happy unless he ‘punched him in the nose’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Liberal comedian Bill Maher dismissed backlash that he went too easy on Vice President JD Vance during their recent interview, arguing that critics wouldn’t have been satisfied unless the conversation had ended in a physical altercation. “They would never be happy unless JD Vance walked out and I punched him in the nose,” Maher told Fox News Digital. “That’s the only thing that would satisfy certain pe…
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