{"id":4205,"date":"2026-06-29T04:34:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T04:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=4205"},"modified":"2026-06-29T04:34:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T04:34:50","slug":"bill-maher-receives-mark-twain-prize-amid-uncertainty-at-kennedy-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=4205","title":{"rendered":"Bill Maher receives Mark Twain Prize amid uncertainty at Kennedy Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>\n            Comedian and Trump critic Bill Maher on Sunday received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington institution that is entangled in a legal battle over President Donald Trump\u2019s effort to overhaul it.\n    <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=4203\">Conservative presidential power expert set to assist investigation into Trump foes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            The center \u2014 which Trump has sought to put his stamp on \u2014 was set to temporarily close its doors for a yearslong renovation, but is now faced with difficult financial choices after a judge ordered it to continue operating. Plummeting ticket sales, artist withdrawals, political controversies and a diminished staff have made restarting a full-scale programming schedule a challenge, multiple sources familiar with the operation previously told CNN.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Maher noted the potential closure during remarks on the red carpet before the event, saying, \u201cThis is the last show here for at least two years.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cIt is a beautiful building. They keep talking about how they need to renovate. It looks perfectly fine to me. I don\u2019t see one thing that needs a single thing changed,\u201d he said.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The performing arts center has been at the center of Trump\u2019s remaking of Washington, DC \u2014 and the limits he faces in enacting his wishes. Two weeks ago, the Kennedy Center complied with a judge\u2019s order in removing Trump\u2019s name from the building, which was added by the president\u2019s handpicked board of trustees.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The administration has told the court the name is gone \u2014 but a tarp still covers the spot where it hung, leaving the removal hidden from public view.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cFinally, an award from my dear friend, ironically at the Trump Kennedy Center. No \u2014 oh right, we fixed that,\u201d actor Woody Harrelson quipped onstage during the Sunday event.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Maher has been a target of the president\u2019s ire, but also dined with Trump at the White House in 2025. The comedian praised the president after the dinner, though their relationship has remained tense. In February, Trump called Maher a \u201cjerk,\u201d dismissed their 2025 White House dinner as \u201ca total waste of time,\u201d and said the comedian suffers from \u201cTrump Derangement Syndrome.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI\u2019d rather be fighting and yelling \u2014 that\u2019s his way of talking,\u201d Maher told CNN on the red carpet ahead of the event. \u201cI\u2019d rather the channels be open; anything is better than the channels being shut off.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The White House in March initially denied that the comedian would be awarded the honor, which is an annual lifetime achievement award given by the Kennedy Center.\n    <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=4201\">Every time a college student comes out to me, I learn more about pride<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cBelieve me, when they asked me and called and said, \u2018Would you accept this?\u2019 I did not have to ask twice. Of course, after the president tried to get the show canceled, they actually did have to ask twice,\u201d Maher joked during his speech.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            As Maher was accepting his award, he was \u201cinterrupted\u201d by the president \u2014 or rather, comedian Matt Friend\u2019s portrayal of him.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cWhy are we giving this low-ratings, lightweight jerk the Mark Twain Award?\u201d Friend joked, repeating insults the president has used against Maher.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The \u201cReal Time with Bill Maher\u201d host joins a list of past honorees that includes Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart and Conan O\u2019Brien. (Maher\u2019s HBO show is also presented on CNN on Saturdays. HBO and CNN are both part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The 27th annual ceremony, which will premiere on Netflix on July 21, featured guests including Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Jay Leno and John Mellencamp, many of whom made jokes revolving around Trump.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cPresident Trump not happy about Bill getting this award. You think he\u2019s mad now? Really, finds out next year the recipient is Bad Bunny,\u201d Leno joked, referring to the Puerto Rican rapper, whom Trump has criticized.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Guests on the red carpet, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of comedy in the divided political environment.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cJust because we are on opposite sides of the aisle, doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t relate to the opposite side from time to time,\u201d radio host Stephen A. Smith told CNN.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cWhen either side gets mad at me because I put them in jokes \u2014jokes that work \u2014 my lesson to that is simple: You want to not get mocked, stop being funny,\u201d Maher said in his speech.\n    <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=4193\">Progressives look to Colorado as next test of a rising movement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comedian and Trump critic Bill Maher on Sunday received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington institution that is entangled in a legal battle over President Donald Trump\u2019s effort to overhaul it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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