Comedian Bill Maher is being honored Sunday with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington — an event that could be one of the last major performances at the venue for years to come.
The Mark Twain Prize has been given out since 1998 to recognize individuals who have made lasting contributions to American comedy and social commentary. When the Kennedy Center announced Maher’s selection back in March, it described him as someone who has shaped American comedy “one politically incorrect joke at a time” — a nod to the late-night program “Politically Incorrect” that he hosted through much of the 1990s and that helped launch his career into the national spotlight.
Past recipients of the honor include Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Letterman, Carol Burnett, and Tina Fey. Among the celebrities expected to take the stage Sunday night are Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, and Jay Leno.
President Donald Trump, who has spent a significant portion of his second term reshaping the Kennedy Center, is not anticipated to be in attendance.
The timing of the ceremony is complicated by the turmoil surrounding the Kennedy Center itself. After returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump fired most of the center’s leadership and put in place a board made up largely of his allies. He was named chairman, and his name was added to the building’s well-known exterior — a move that sparked a legal challenge that became a broader battle over presidential authority.
Trump later announced plans to shut down the Kennedy Center in July for a two-year renovation project. However, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper threw a wrench into those plans in May, ruling that Trump’s name had been illegally placed on the building and ordering its removal. The judge also put a stop to the planned closure.
Trump’s name has since been taken off the building as required by the court order, but the area where the letters once appeared is now covered with a tarp. The closure remains on hold, and lawyers for the Kennedy Center have indicated they are not currently working to book new programming.
“The Court’s order did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been cancelled or to seek new programming,” the center’s attorneys stated in a recent court filing.
Judge Cooper has requested an update next month on how long the tarp will stay in place. As things stand, the last event on the books for the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall is “The Freedom Gathering: A Musical Celebration” on July 3.
Maher’s selection for the award carries extra weight given his complicated history with Trump. Back in 2013, before Trump entered politics, Trump filed a $5 million lawsuit against Maher over comments the comedian made on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show.” During that appearance, Maher offered to donate $5 million to a charity of Trump’s choosing if Trump could prove he was not “the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan.” Trump claimed that after he produced his birth certificate, Maher refused to pay, leading to the lawsuit — which Trump ultimately dropped.
Their relationship flared up again earlier this year when Trump took to social media to claim he had wasted his time having dinner with Maher the previous year. “He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be,” Trump wrote. “He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself.” Trump also claimed the comedian admitted he was “scared.”
Maher pushed back during his April 11 episode of “Real Time,” offering his own account of the dinner. He said Trump was “gracious and measured” and not like the “person who plays a crazy person on TV.” Maher flatly denied being scared.
During his “New Rules” segment that night, Maher also acknowledged some Trump policies he agreed with, including what he called the “mass removal of stone cold criminals” and pushing NATO allies to pay “their fair share.” “I may be the last person from the lunatic left that is still an honest broker when it comes to you,” he said.
Just ahead of Sunday’s ceremony, Maher welcomed Vice President JD Vance onto his show. Vance, who is currently promoting a book, said he watches “Real Time” and admitted he laughed at Maher’s opening monologue “even though you were making fun of me.” During the sit-down, Maher challenged Vance on topics including the situation in Iran, immigration enforcement, and claims of election fraud.
“You guys have two outcomes that an election can be,” Maher told Vance. “Either we win or they cheated. That s—- has to stop.”
Maher’s selection wasn’t without drama either. After The Atlantic reported in March that he would receive the award, the White House pushed back sharply. White House communications director Steven Cheung took to social media to call the story “literally FAKE NEWS,” and press secretary Karoline Leavitt also dismissed it as “fake news,” insisting Maher “will NOT be getting this award.” The situation was eventually resolved following further discussions between the Kennedy Center and event organizers.
Other celebrities expected at Sunday’s ceremony also have complicated histories with Trump. Huffington, for example, has feuded with the president at various points over more than a decade. Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith, also expected to appear, recently criticized Trump for attending the NBA Finals in New York earlier this month, calling the move “selfish” and “narcissistic.” Smith has also hinted at political ambitions of his own.
