Comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday at a Kennedy Center grappling with severe financial and operational challenges stemming from a legal fight over President Donald Trump's attempted overhaul of the Washington institution.
The ceremony proceeded even as the center faces what multiple sources describe as a crisis. Plummeting ticket sales, artist withdrawals, political controversies and a diminished staff have made restarting a full-scale programming schedule a challenge, sources familiar with the operation told CNN. The building was set to close for a yearslong renovation before a judge ordered it to continue operating, forcing difficult financial choices on management.
Institution Under Pressure
Maher didn't mince words on the red carpet. "This is the last show here for at least two years," he said. He questioned the renovation rationale entirely: "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."
The Kennedy Center has become a flashpoint in Trump's effort to remake Washington, DC, and the limits he faces in enacting his wishes. Two weeks ago, the center complied with a judge's order to remove Trump's name from the building, which had been added by the president's handpicked board of trustees. The administration has told the court the name is gone, but a tarp still covers the spot where it hung, leaving the removal hidden from public view.
Actor Woody Harrelson joked onstage during Sunday's event, "Finally, an award from my dear friend, ironically at the Trump Kennedy Center. No — oh right, we fixed that."
A Complicated Relationship
Maher has been a target of the president's ire, but also dined with Trump at the White House in 2025. Maher praised the president after that dinner, though their relationship has remained tense. 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 in March initially denied that the comedian would be awarded 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 was accepting 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.
The Ceremony and Its Future
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 operational crisis raises serious questions about the sustainability of federally connected cultural institutions caught in political crossfire. With plummeting ticket sales and artist withdrawals already documented, the center faces a fiscal reality that no court order can solve: audiences and performers vote with their feet and wallets. The judge's mandate to continue operations doesn't address the underlying financial model or restore public confidence. Meanwhile, the center's diminished staff must somehow deliver a full programming schedule under conditions that sources describe as untenable. Whether this storied institution can weather both legal battles and market rejection remains an open question, one with implications for how Washington's cultural infrastructure navigates an era when political controversy directly impacts the bottom line.