Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday at a Kennedy Center still reeling from President Donald Trump's attempted takeover — an institution now struggling to survive after a judge blocked its planned closure.
The comedian didn't mince words on the red carpet. "This is the last show here for at least two years," Maher said, noting the building's precarious future. He added, "It is a beautiful building. They keep talking about how they need to renovate. It looks perfectly fine to me. I don't see one thing that needs a single thing changed."
An Institution Under Siege
The Kennedy Center's troubles reveal the human cost of political interference in cultural institutions. Trump sought to put his stamp on the center, which was set to temporarily close for a yearslong renovation. But a judge ordered it to continue operating, leaving the venue in financial limbo. 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.
Two weeks ago, the center complied with a judge's order removing Trump's name from the building — a nameplate his handpicked board of trustees had installed. The administration told the court the name is gone, but a tarp still covers the spot where it hung. The removal remains hidden from public view.
Actor Woody Harrelson captured the absurdity onstage during Sunday's event. "Finally, an award from my dear friend, ironically at the Trump Kennedy Center," he joked. "No — oh right, we fixed that."
A Complicated Relationship
Maher's relationship with Trump has been tense and contradictory. The comedian dined with Trump at the White House in 2025 and praised the president afterward. That didn't last. In February, Trump called Maher a "jerk," dismissed their 2025 White House dinner as "a total waste of time," and said the comedian suffers from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
Maher told CNN on the red carpet, "I'd rather be fighting and yelling — that's his way of talking. I'd rather the channels be open; anything is better than the channels being shut off."
The White House initially denied in March that the comedian would receive the honor, which is an annual lifetime achievement award given by the Kennedy Center. During his speech, Maher joked, "Believe me, when they asked me and called and said, 'Would you accept this?' 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."
As Maher accepted his award, he was "interrupted" by the president — or rather, comedian Matt Friend's portrayal of him. Friend joked, "Why are we giving this low-ratings, lightweight jerk the Mark Twain Award?" repeating insults the president has used against Maher.
Comedy as Resistance
The "Real Time with Bill Maher" host joins a list of past honorees that includes Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien. 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.
Jay Leno joked, "President Trump not happy about Bill getting this award. You think he's mad now? Really, finds out next year the recipient is Bad Bunny," referring to the Puerto Rican rapper, whom Trump has criticized.
Guests on the red carpet emphasized the importance of comedy in the divided political environment. Radio host Stephen A. Smith told CNN, "Just because we are on opposite sides of the aisle, doesn't mean we don't relate to the opposite side from time to time."
Maher said in his speech, "When either side gets mad at me because I put them in jokes — jokes that work — my lesson to that is simple: You want to not get mocked, stop being funny."
Why This Matters:
The Kennedy Center's crisis illustrates what happens when political pressure threatens cultural institutions that belong to all Americans. Artist withdrawals and plummeting ticket sales don't just hurt the venue's bottom line — they deprive communities of access to the arts and public discourse. The center's diminished staff face uncertain futures while serving an institution caught between a court order to operate and insufficient resources to do so sustainably. Maher's award ceremony became a statement about preserving spaces where dissent, satire and democratic debate can flourish without presidential interference. When public institutions become political footballs, it's workers, artists and audiences who pay the price — and the loss of shared cultural spaces weakens the democratic fabric that binds diverse communities together.