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Bill Maher claimed Donald Trump was “much less” of a threat than before, in a podcast recorded hours before the president launched into a lengthy rant calling the talk show host a “total loser.”
Maher, 70, had dinner with Trump, Kid Rock and ESPN host Stephen A. Smith at the White House on October 15. The HBO late-night host then hosted Trump’s former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on the Oct. 23 episode of his show, In Real Time with Bill Maherduring which Maher criticized Trump on various topics.
Trump, 80, then posted a 1,300-word message on social media Sunday evening, accusing Maher, 70, of various lies and ordering the comedian: “Bill: Don’t call again.”
Now, on Monday’s episode of the host’s HBO show Random club podcast with filmmaker Justine Bateman — recorded before Trump’s lengthy social media post — Maher downplayed Trump.
Maher said he was regularly approached by Hollywood liberals at “restaurants… nice restaurants, where rich people go.”
Maher continued: “They say some version of, or very often say exactly, ‘Bill, what are we going to do?’ And I know what they mean, they mean Trump is so horrible, what are we going to do? And I always say, ‘Go back to the table and finish your $1,000 dinner for three people, fucking fake!’
He continued, “Because your life is good. Your life hasn’t been affected by Donald Trump at all. That’s not to say that Donald Trump isn’t a threat in many ways like he always was, but he’s a lot less of a threat now. He’s a lame duck now.”
“Just recognize the reality of that,” Maher said. “Your life didn’t end. I mean, I was more worried about Donald Trump ten years ago than I am today. He wasn’t president yet and I already recognized that he wasn’t conceding the election.”
The argument between the two men comes after Trump initially seemed impressed after their dinner meeting, telling reporters a day later that he and Maher liked each other.
“Bill Maher, I tell you what, he likes me a lot more than people think, and I actually like him,” he said.
On his Oct. 23 show, Maher said Trump had “the lowest approval rating of any candidate in the midterms,” mocked the president’s comments about Sen. Jon Husted’s body and asked Leavitt what Trump might be like during the “lame duck” phase of his presidency.
Trump’s rant on Sunday night saw the president make a series of claims about Maher, including a suggestion that the comedian had desperately wanted to dine at the White House after meeting Trump there previously.
“As soon as we had that first dinner at the White House, which is a very attractive and beautiful place, especially now that I have completely renovated it and done it up in the style that it deserves, Bill wanted to come back,” Trump said. “The Gofer called me several times to tell me how much Bill loves me, that he respects me more than anyone and that he wants to come back for a second meeting.
“After the second dinner, Bill’s ‘show’ was much worse than the first. He went crazy! He is gutless, because he enjoyed every minute of it,” he wrote.
Maher has not yet responded to Trump’s message.
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