By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-06 23:29:05 | Updated at 2026-06-08 11:07:30
1 day ago
Bill Maher used a portion of Friday's Real Time to respond to a recent jab from Donald Trump about his 'low ratings.'
The president panned the left-leaning host as 'Low Ratings Bill Maher' and claimed he used a 'fake laughing machine' in a Monday Truth Social post.
'I can always tell when the president is in a bad mood, because he starts tweeting about me,' Maher reacted, labeling it 'an honor' to be in Trump's thoughts.
'Even when they're bad, and they're always bad,' he joked.
Maher then pointed to a May Reuters/Ipsos poll that found less than one in three Americans approve of Trump's presidency amid the ongoing Iran war.
'First of all, low ratings? Yours is 35 percent,' he said.
'And fake laughing machine? Can I get a shot of our audience?' Producers played stock footage of audiences laughing and applauding.
'There, that should settle that,' Maher, 70, said.
Bill Maher, 70, responded to a recent jab from the president about his ratings and audience on Friday's night's edition of Real Time
The president described the liberal host as 'Low Ratings Bill Maher' with a 'fake laughing machine' in a Monday Truth Social post
Maher's ratings currently hover around 500,000 viewers a night - down from the 1.5 million total viewers he used to average in 2021.
Trump had suggested he could be next out of late-night in his Monday Truth Social post.
Trump had brought up Maher as he bragged about Republican wins in recent primaries.
'In the last two weeks I've taken out many bad Political "Leaders” and Pundits including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lightweight "Congressman" Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, REALLY DUMB Stephen Colbert of CBS, and others,' he wrote.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was cancelled last month after years of politically charged content from its host. Trump appeared to take credit for the move in the post, despite CBS saying it was for financial reasons.
Trump ended the post by saying: 'My score, for two weeks, is 38-0, with three more limping Late Night Talk Show Hosts, including Low Ratings Bill Maher and his Fake "Laughing Machine," to go.'
The other 'hosts' were not specified, though ABC's Jimmy Kimmel was a likely candidate. NBC's Seth Meyers is also an outspoken liberal, as is Maher.
It was recently revealed that Maher and Trump, 79, met together for a dinner at the White House in March of last year. The dinner was made public by a February 2026 Truth Social post by the president.
'I can always tell when the president is in a bad mood, because he starts tweeting about me,' Maher said
The men - seen together here at the Emmy Awards in 2004 - met at the White House for a dinner in March of last year. The two have been trading barbs since February
Trump spoke out about the meet in a separate Truth Social post, revealing it even took place to the public
It panned Maher for having 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
'He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert but, I must admit, slightly more talented!' Trump wrote at the time. He said recent shows from Maher had 'devolve[d] into the same old story - Very boring, ANTI TRUMP.'
'Regardless, I’d much rather spend my time MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him,' Trump wrote.
'Bill continues to suffer from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!), and there is nothing that will ever be done to cure him of this very serious disease.'
Maher responded during a March edition of Real Time.
'Someone has to help Donald Trump understand that I don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. He suffers from Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome,' Maher said.
'I will not consider the dinner "a waste of time," even as I now see we’re back to name calling and that I have some new ones like, "highly overrated lightweight" to add to the list you signed.'
He said of the dinner: 'I was having a good time. So were you, Don, because we were talking like real humans, not like that crazy act you put on in public.'
The Daily Mail has approached the White House for comment.
