Maher accepts Mark Twain Prize as Kennedy Center fight shadows gala

Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday at the Kennedy Center, where the ceremony also became a stage for jokes about President Donald Trump and the venue’s uncertain direction. The Associated Press reported that Trump’s imprint on the arts center was visible even outside the hall, where a tarp now covers the area where his name had been placed on the facade.

Maher, the comedian and political commentator, was honored during the 27th annual Mark Twain Prize ceremony in Washington. According to AP, he used his remarks to criticize political conformity on both the left and right, saying, “If you hang around long enough and create something important enough, everyone hates you at some point.”

The event brought in performers and comedians including Whitney Cummings, Jay Leno, Woody Harrelson and Matt Friend, AP reported. Friend, known for his Trump impression, came onstage shortly after Maher began his acceptance speech and, speaking as Trump, joked that he would take the award himself.

Trump jokes meet Kennedy Center politics

AP reported that the Trump material during the ceremony was present but not especially harsh. Cummings joked that the Kennedy Center under Trump’s influence would present a “white ‘Hamilton,’” while Harrelson made a reference to the court order that led to Trump’s name being removed from the building.

The night also included jokes about Maher’s marijuana use, his criticism of organized religion and the controversies that have followed him, according to AP. Those included comments he made after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which preceded the cancellation of his show “Politically Incorrect.”

The Kennedy Center’s own turmoil gave the gala a sharper edge. AP reported that after Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he fired much of the center’s leadership and installed a board made up largely of allies. That board named Trump chairman, and his name was added to the building’s well-known exterior.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that Trump’s name had been added illegally and ordered it removed, AP reported. Cooper also blocked a planned full closure of the Kennedy Center, which Trump had said would begin in July and last two years for renovations.

Trump’s name has since been taken down in line with the court order, AP reported. The section of the building where the letters had been displayed is now covered by a tarp, and Cooper has asked for an update next month on how long it will stay there.

AP reported that lawyers for the Kennedy Center have said they are not currently planning to add programming. The last event now listed for the Concert Hall is “The Freedom Gathering: A Musical Celebration” on July 3.

A long-running feud

Maher’s selection carried extra weight because of his history with Trump. AP reported that Trump sued Maher for $5 million in 2013 after Maher, appearing on Leno’s “The Tonight Show,” said he would donate that amount 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 said Maher failed to pay after Trump produced his birth certificate, AP reported. Trump later dropped the lawsuit.

The two clashed again this year after Trump wrote on social media that he had wasted time having a meal with Maher last year, according to AP. Before the awards ceremony, Leno told AP that Trump’s actions involving the Kennedy Center were “hilarious” and driven by “vanity,” calling the dispute “high school with money.”

Maher also hosted Vice President JD Vance on his show before the weekend, AP reported. During the interview, Maher questioned Vance about the Iran war, immigration enforcement and election conspiracy theories.

The Mark Twain Prize ceremony honoring Maher is scheduled to air on Netflix on July 21, according to AP.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.