"Gracious and measured" is praised by Maher. Trump following his visit to the White House
Following their encounter at the White House in late March, comedian and talk show host Bill Maher lauded President Trump, calling him "gracious and measured."
During Friday's episode of "Real Time With Bill Maher," Maher, who had been critical of Trump even before he started his 2016 presidential campaign, revealed that he brought a piece of paper with nearly 60 insults Trump had thrown at him over the years, including "dummy, sick, and really dumb guy," and asked him to sign it.
During their discussion on March 31, the talk show host made it clear that he did not convert "MAGA" and that "to the President's credit, there was no push to" do so.
To begin with, he chuckles. He laughs, even to himself, and I have never seen him do it in public. Trust me, it is real. "As a forty-year veteran comedian, I can spot a false chuckle," Maher remarked.
Kid Rock, a well-known Trump supporter, organized the dinner between Trump and Maher, who have been at differences for years. Maher was also in attendance.
"I can not recall what we were discussing, but it had to something to do with the 2020 election. Because I am aware that he used the word "lost" quite clearly. "Wow, I never thought I would hear you say that," I said. On Friday, Maher said of the president, "He did not become mad." "His self-awareness is far more than what he displays in public."
"See, I understand. At a private dinner with a comic, it makes no difference who he is. On the global stage, it matters who he is," the comic continued. "I just consider the existence of this individual to be a given. Because, I swear to God, everything I have ever disliked about him was, at least, not present this evening with this person.
Trump questioned Maher about his thoughts on continuing negotiations with Iran on Tehran's escalating nuclear program during the two-and-a-half-hour meeting.
In any case, I believed that the Obama agreement was worthwhile since we forced Iran to destroy 98% of its uranium while they were only 15 years away from having a bomb. "But we got rid of that," I said to him. Maher stated on Friday, "You got rid of that." He did not become enraged or accuse me of being a crazy leftist. He absorbed it. I told him that although I believed some of his ideas for Gaza were crazy, I had backed him in his belief that Gaza might be Dubai rather than hell.
The veteran comic claimed he did not feel the need to be "eggshell" when he spoke to Trump, something he believed would be improbable around former Democratic Presidents Clinton and Obama.
Maher then told his audience that Trump's public persona differs from his private one, saying, "I suppose that is indicative of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days."
That is what is down there, and I entered the mine. The White House is not inhabited by a crazy person; rather, it is occupied by someone who frequently portrays a crazy person on television, which I know is f—– up. Maher told the crowd, "It is just not as f—– up as I thought it was."
That is my report. I am not a liar, and you can despise me for that. Trump was cool and collected. And I have no idea why he is not so in other contexts, and I am not qualified to respond. I was not high; I am just telling you what I witnessed," he said in closing.
