Bill Maher Reveals How His Perception of President Trump Changed After Eating Dinner With Him: “My Mind Was Blown”

Liberal late-night television show host Bill Maher revealed on Friday’s episode some details of his private dinner with President Trump at the White House.

Specifically, he discussed how his perception of President Trump changed after sharing a meal with him.

And, it changed quite a lot…

In fact, Bill Maher — who has, up until now, been a vocal anti-Trump critic — stated that his “mind was blown” during the dinner.

“Everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent,” Maher said about President Trump.

He went on to say that President Trump was “not fake” and “much more self-aware than he lets on in public.”

Watch the segment for yourself here:

NEW: Bill Maher says his “mind was blown” to come to the realization that Trump is much more self-aware and personable than he ever imagined.

“Everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent,” Maher said.

“He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in… pic.twitter.com/rfXvXjsfCU

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) April 12, 2025

NEW: Bill Maher says his “mind was blown” to come to the realization that Trump is much more self-aware and personable than he ever imagined.

“Everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent,” Maher said.

“He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public. Look, I get it. It doesn’t matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian. It matters who he is on the world stage. I’m just taking as a positive that this person exists, because everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent.

“At least on this night with this guy, Bob, Kid Rock told me the night before, he said, ‘If you want to get a word in edgewise, you’re going to have to cut him off. He’ll just go on.’ Not at all. I’ve had so many conversations with prominent people who are much less connected.

“People who don’t look you in the eye, people who don’t really listen because they just want to get to their next thing. People whose response to things you say just doesn’t track. Like what? None of that with him. And he mostly steered the conversation to, ‘What do you think about this?’

“I know your mind is blown. So is mine.”

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Here’s the full clip:

Twelve days ago, I had dinner with President Trump, a dinner that my friend @KidRock set up because we share the belief that there has to be something better than hurling insults from 3000 miles away. pic.twitter.com/KE2t2eyBkI

— Bill Maher (@billmaher) April 12, 2025

Variety commented:

New rule: if I’m going to criticize the President of the United States, then I’m going to eat dinner with the President of the United States. That may as well have been one of the no-no’s to start Friday’s episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” which opened with the host detailing his March 31 visit to the White House to meet with President Trump. Maher, who’s been an outspoken critic of the Commander-in-chief since before his first presidential term, recounted the evening in a lengthy monologue at the top of the show.

“Let me first say that to all the people who treated this like it was some sort of summit meeting, ‘You’re ridiculous,’” Maher started off. “Like I was going to sign a treaty or something? I have no power. I’m a fucking comedian.”

Maher then touted that he got the president to sign a sheet of paper listing numerous insults that Trump had levied against Maher over the years, including “low-life” and “his show is dead.” But the host’s tone changed shortly after that.

“The guy I met is not the guy who the night before the dinner shit-Tweeted a bunch of nasty crap about how this dinner was a bad idea and what a deranged asshole I was,” Maher said. “Just for starters: he laughs. I’ve never seen him laugh in public. But he does, including at himself. He’s not fake.”

The dinner was organized by musician Kid Rock, a longtime supporter of Trump and one of his more outspoken fans from the entertainment industry. Kid Rock was present for the meeting between Maher and the president.

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Maher noted a standout moment while touring the White House: “I don’t remember what we were talking about, but it must’ve been something with the 2020 election. Because I know he distinctly used the world ‘lost.’ And I said, ‘Wow, I never thought I’d hear you say that.’ He didn’t get mad. He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public.”

So, is that it?

Did President Trump break Bill Maher?

This was jarring I happened to turn Bill Maher on tonight and first thing I heard was a joke about China releasing another virus.

Trump broke Maher. Wow.

— Ashton Forbes (@JustXAshton) April 12, 2025

Or, is Bill Maher just grifting?

Strategically trying to change audiences to stay afloat a sea of dying left-wing programs?

People who want to be successful know now that they can’t be trashing on President Trump 24/7.

I don’t trust Maher, but what he said here about the person Trump actually is sounds on point.

Maher is a performer. That’s all this was.

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 12, 2025

Let us know your thoughts on this.

Either way, it’s crazy what can happen when Democrats actually step outside of their echo chamber for once to see firsthand what President Trump and the MAGA movement really is.

Because President Trump really is the president for all Americans. Regardless of party affiliation or perceived conceptions.

What do you think?