Bill Maher, the host of HBO, had a surprising description for President Donald Trump as he detailed his experience attending a glamorous dinner event at the national landmark. Though Maher didn’t shy away from pointing out the multiple differences between Trump and himself on the political spectrum, he felt it was wrong to completely reject the idea of interacting with the president based on these disagreements.
Maher found himself in the esteemed company of UFC President Dana White and renowned singer Kid Rock for this dinner at the White House, which happened at the end of March. In his comedic but raw monologue on his TV show ‘Real Time with Bill Maher,’ he shared his direct and unfiltered conversation about his political stances that significantly diverged from those of Trump.
He found Trump’s lack of aggression during their dinner debate to be quite commendable. This, according to the TV host, was a stark commentary about why the Democrats were not favored by many. In a moment of candor, Maher revealed that he had cast his votes for Clinton and Obama in past elections, but had never felt at ease to openly converse with them in the same manner he did with Trump during dinner.
As per Maher, the encounter was a straightforward one, and one could interpret it in any way they saw fit. He felt that his experience was indicative of why the Democrats were falling out of favor with the public. The comedian opened up about how he was at loggerheads with the Democrats on various issues.
For instance, Maher found disagreement with Democrats on Israel’s conflict with the extremist Islamic terrorist faction Hamas. Similarly, he opposed the concepts of child sex changes, men—by birth—participating in women’s sports, and the prevailing ‘wokeness.’ Bringing up his most memorable moment from the dinner, Maher assured his audience that Trump was more accessible than they might think.
He even attempted to put his supporters at ease by stating, ‘Rest assured MAGA fans, he gave me nothing more than hats and his precious time. He was open to the idea of friendship despite being aware of me not holding conservative views, a true testament to the purpose of the dinner.’
In a moment Maher cherished the most from that evening, they stood together discussing various viewpoints received about their dinner. He was charmed when Trump shared, ‘I’ve received significant positive feedback about our dinner, not universally, but from many.’ Maher concurred by sharing similar feedback from his end and they found common ground on the marginalization of those who were reluctant to even initiate dialogues.
Maher wasn’t hesitant to criticize the texture of political intolerance. He particularly critiqued those who deprecated his decision to attend the dinner. The critique direction more often was found towards Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
His emphatic question was, ‘Rather than expressing outrage, shouldn’t they cultivate constructive conversations? So, essentially, is this liberalism?’
Maher further chided, ‘He opens up about frailties but what stops the rest? Are we only expected to guard ours?’
To conclude, weighed in by saying, ‘That concludes my monologue. Feel free to despise me for it but know that I am standing by my truth. Trump, in my experience, showed grace and restraint. I can’t rationalize why his usual demeanor deviates from what he exhibited at the dinner, nor is it my place to do so. I am merely sharing my perspective.’
He wrapped up his show with unexpected words: ‘No, I wasn’t under the influence during this experience. I certainly did miss that chance.’