Bill Maher Answers Trump's Lengthy Attack After White House Dinner

Bill Maher's latest clash with President Donald Trump followed another attempt at friendly engagement. Earlier this month, the HBO host attended a White House dinner with Trump, Kid Rock and Stephen A. Smith, according to Variety Movies.

Maher then interviewed former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on "Real Time." He said he liked Trump's proposed East Wing ballroom, The Hill reported. Variety Movies characterized the interview as embarrassing.

Maher also defended the dinner against critics. "Yeah I did it again," he told viewers, according to The Daily Beast Latest Articles. That defense did not prevent the relationship from souring.

Coverage published on October 24 captured Maher defending the dinner and expressing support for the ballroom. Within days, Trump's public assessment of their encounter had changed sharply.

On October 26, Deadline Hollywood reported that Trump had posted more than 1,300 words attacking Maher on Sunday night, nine days after praising their "great dinner." The outlet said Trump was upset about jokes and comments Maher had made.

Trump called Maher a "complete and total loser" and told him, "Don't call anymore," according to Variety Movies. CNN, citing its own analysis and a third-party tracking firm, described it as Trump's longest Truth Social post ever.

The attack also challenged Maher's account of the evening. Trump claimed Maher had been drunk and disputed his statement that dinner lasted four hours, Forbes reported. Those were Trump's allegations, not independently established facts in the supplied coverage.

By October 29, the dispute had drawn criticism from Joe Rogan, who described Trump's message as a "break-up letter," according to The Daily Beast Latest Articles.

Maher responded on Friday's "Real Time," in coverage published October 31. The Wrap TV reported that he challenged several of Trump's claims and said, "I don't want it to be this way." Variety Movies reported that his response included a comparison between Trump and Taylor Swift.

The latest development in the supplied coverage is Maher's response, rather than another Trump post. Maher treated the attention partly as material for his show, calling the lengthy attack "kind of a flex," according to Deadline Hollywood.

The public record has shifted from Trump praising their dinner to telling Maher not to call, followed by Maher pushing back on television. The supplied reports do not establish a reconciliation or another planned meeting.