Bill Maher tells Chris Cuomo why he’s dining with Trump

Comedian Bill Maher told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo during a Friday podcast that he is attending a private dinner with President Donald Trump due to it being pitched to him as potentially helping to “heal America.”

Musician and Trump ally Kid Rock said he brokered the White House dinner for Maher, who is a prominent critic of the president, in an effort to “unite this country.” Maher, on “The Chris Cuomo Project,” acknowledged he does not believe he has the power to “heal America,” but said it was worthwhile endeavor.

WATCH:

“I’m doing it because, first of all, it was presented as … maybe this is a beginning to heal America. Now, I don’t have some sort of complex where I think I can heal America,” Maher told Cuomo. “I can’t. Okay, let’s get that clear — I’m not going to be healing America. But if two guys who’ve been at each other for so long — I mean, it’s kind of a [former President Richard] Nixon-to-China thing.”

“I have the credentials. There was nobody who was harder on Trump or more prescient about the fact that he wasn’t going to leave office voluntarily than I was,” he continued. “I feel like I have the credentials. But they also respect me because I’m honest about the woke train to Crazy Town, and I don’t shrink from that.”

The comedian also noted Trump’s invitation for a private White House dinner was “an honor.”

“I’m impressed by it. A lot. I’m impressed the fuck out of it. I get to go to the White House. And yes, that is the structure of this dinner — it’s just, ‘Let’s talk. Let’s talk to each other face to face. Let’s stop shouting from 3,000 miles away,’ you know?” he said. “So if they expect me to be leaving in a MAGA hat, they’re going to be very disappointed. But I know they don’t. And I think it’s going to be — you know, look, it probably will accomplish very little, but you gotta try, man. You gotta try.”

Cuomo expressed strong support for Maher attending the dinner.

“I love that you’re going. I think it’s great for exactly the reasons you said. … And I will celebrate it when it happens,” he said.

Maher also revealed on a Sunday episode of his “Club Random” podcast that he plans to “be respectful” to Trump at the meeting, along with donning a suit and tie.

The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

 All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Latest posts by Jason Cohen (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.