Overview
- Maher defended his decision Friday on Real Time after attending a roughly four-hour White House dinner with President Trump that also included Stephen A. Smith and Kid Rock.
- On the show Maher used profane humor to dismiss critics, listed topics he says he pressed Trump on, and acknowledged he enjoyed the dinners.
- Maher then interviewed former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who relayed Trump’s praise for the dinner and said she will join Fox News on Nov. 1.
- Coverage criticized Maher for asking largely soft questions of Leavitt and for a pattern of cordial private engagement that some say undercuts rigorous public scrutiny.
- Attendees including Stephen A. Smith and Trump corroborated the dinner’s length and tone, and commentators warned the episode highlights the revolving door between Trump’s team and conservative media.