US President Donald Trump hosted a dinner at the White House on Thursday, bringing together conservative musician Kid Rock, comedian Bill Maher and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith for a discussion involving several political issues.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Rock, whose real name is Bob Ritchie, described the gathering as an “epic” dinner and said the guests agreed that socialism and communism should not gain a foothold in the US government.
“Two Democrats, two Republicans sit down, break bread, have laughs, have tough conversations on a lot of the issues,” Rock said, describing the meeting between the four men.
He also criticised Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed while discussing the political agreement he said emerged from the dinner.
Maher Raises Iran War and Afghanistan Interpreters
According to Rock, Maher raised questions about the war in Iran and the return of interpreters who assisted American forces during the war in Afghanistan.
Maher, who has frequently criticised Trump on his HBO programme, did not immediately comment publicly on Thursday’s gathering. His show was on hiatus that week.
The comedian previously met Trump in March 2025, in a meeting arranged with the involvement of Rock. Maher subsequently described the president as “gracious and measured” and said their conversation had been positive despite their history of public disagreements.
Stephen A. Smith Discusses Funding for Historically Black Colleges
Smith told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Friday that he used the dinner to raise concerns about funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
He praised Trump for signing the Futures Act, which provides more than $250 million annually for HBCUs, but said the administration’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives had made some corporations concerned about donating to the institutions.
Smith said he explained that companies feared being targeted over their support for HBCUs because of the administration’s position on DEI.
“He took heed to that and said that was something he was going to think about strongly,” Smith said.
According to the sports commentator, Trump also promised to meet with members of his team the following week to discuss the issue.
Trump Says Guests Enjoyed the Evening
Trump spoke positively about the dinner when reporters asked him about it on Friday.
“I think they had a good time,” the president said, adding that Smith and Maher liked him more than their public political positions might suggest.
“Even though they have to put on a certain little facade for their people, they like Trump and I actually like them. We had a great time,” he said.
Trump also revealed that he, Maher, Smith and Rock took a tour of the new White House ballroom during the visit.
Maher and Smith were later seen at Washington DC jazz bar Madam’s Organ, where they celebrated Smith’s birthday.
Maher Previously Described His First Trump Meeting as Positive
Maher’s earlier meeting with Trump in March 2025 attracted attention because of their long-running public feud. Trump had previously sued the comedian after Maher made a remark comparing the president’s father to an orangutan.
Following their first White House dinner, Maher said Rock had helped arrange the meeting because they believed there was a better alternative to exchanging insults from a distance.
The comedian rejected suggestions that the gathering represented a major diplomatic event, pointing out that he was a comedian rather than a political leader.
However, he said he wanted to represent centrist-minded Americans who believed the country needed a better way to manage political disagreements.
Maher also said Trump behaved differently in private from the person he had observed in public over the preceding decade. He described the president as more self-aware than he appeared publicly and said Trump had shown a willingness to laugh at himself.
Trump Signed Maher’s Collection of Insults
Maher revealed after the March 2025 meeting that he had taken a printed list of nearly 60 insulting remarks Trump had made about him over the years.
According to Maher, he brought the list to the White House and asked the president to sign it. Trump agreed, and Maher said he handled the request with good humour.
The comedian also said Trump gave him several hats but did not ask him to pose for a photograph wearing them.
Maher said the president asked for his views on a range of political issues and listened to his responses, even when they did not necessarily agree.
He identified areas where he shared some of Trump’s positions, including immigration, improving police morale and keeping transgender women out of women’s sports.
Maher said he had not felt the need to be cautious about what he said during their conversation. He also compared his experience with Trump to his comfort level when speaking with former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, whom he had supported politically.
Public Disagreements Continued After Their First Meeting
Despite Maher’s positive account of their March 2025 encounter, the relationship between the comedian and Trump subsequently returned to public criticism.
Trump mocked Maher for asking for a vodka tonic when he arrived at the White House and described him as “absolutely pathetic” and an “absolute lightweight”. The president also criticised the comedian’s television ratings.
Maher, meanwhile, continued to attack Trump over policies including tariffs and defended the performance of his HBO programme.
Rock has previously said he wanted to bring Maher and Trump together to promote greater unity among Americans despite their political differences.
