The turnout was bolstered by a surprise performance from high-profile supporter Kid Rock. At dinner, Maher shocked some by painting Trump’s behavior there as “gracious” and “a lot more self-aware than he pretends to be.” This perspective was enough to raise a few eyebrows, in no small part due to Maher’s championing the previous president.
In arguably the most unexpected move, cultural critic and comedian Larry David wrote a great satirical op-ed for the New York Times. He likened Maher’s meeting with Trump to having a meal with Adolf Hitler. Maher first heard about the likeness to David’s essay from his publicist, and said he was upset to see the similarity. He emphasized that such an analogy is “kind of insulting to 6 million dead Jews.”
This wasn’t my best moment in our friendship,” commented Maher of David’s attack. The television host and comedian, best known for hosting the talk show Real Time, didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to just keep things business. He didn’t want to take things personal with David. As he said, “If I could speak to Donald Trump, I could speak to Larry David just as well.” This demonstrates that he is trying to preserve their relationship, even within the context of their fight.
My first order of business, Maher boldly stated, to be one of Trump’s most virulent opponents. He boldly proclaimed, “Nobody has been tougher, and more prescient, I would say, about [Donald Trump] than me.” In his acknowledgments, he insisted that his truthful account of dining with Trump can’t be used to dismiss all his past criticisms. He went on to say that everything that he had hated about him was completely erased. He promised the Almighty that it wasn’t, at least not tonight, not with this idiot.
On April 11, Maher released a Real Time episode in which he recounted his evening with Trump. He responded to the backlash that ensued after this meeting. He admitted he could take the criticism, but at that point, David’s style just became more unhelpful. We all know that I can take a shot and I can take it when people disagree with me. That’s not really how I would’ve done it,” he said.