Brief
Trump hosts Bill Maher, Stephen A. Smith and Kid Rock for White House dinner
The Thursday night dinner featured long‑running feuds, a tour of the unfinished ballroom and remarks about the Biden portrait.
By Felo News Desk · Published
President Donald Trump hosted comedian Bill Maher, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and musician Kid Rock for a four‑hour dinner at the White House on Thursday, according to the guests.
What happened
The group arrived around 6:30‑7:00 p.m. and were led into the Oval Office before moving to a tour of the White House grounds, including the Rose Garden colonnade where a framed photo of President Joe Biden had been replaced by an autopen portrait. Trump then showed the men the massive, $330 million ballroom that is still under construction, noting that beams were being installed overhead. The dinner lasted about four hours, with drinks flowing despite Trump’s personal teetotalism.
What the reports add
Kid Rock said he left the event at 11 p.m., describing himself as “on beer seven” and having a blast. Stephen A. Smith recalled that the conversation between Trump and Maher stretched for hours, describing the debate as “heated” over the economy and foreign policy. Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, did most of the talking, according to the account.
What was said
“I had to leave early at 11 p.m.,” Kid Rock told Fox News, adding, “I’m on like beer seven and I’m having a blast.”
“They were going at it for hours,” Smith said of the Trump‑Maher exchange.
“We went inside the ballroom with beams that are being put up over our head,” Trump said on Friday.
“I said that’s pretty damn cruel, man,” Smith later recounted, referring to the replacement of Biden’s portrait.
How it came about
The dinner follows a pattern of high‑profile gatherings at the White House, including a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. It also arrives weeks before the November midterm elections, a period in which polls suggest the Republican Party could face significant losses. The guests’ public personas—Maher’s liberal commentary, Smith’s frequent criticism of Trump and Kid Rock’s long‑standing support for the president—made the event a notable convergence of political opponents sharing a single table.
Key facts
- President Donald Trump hosted Bill Maher, Stephen A. Smith and Kid Rock for a White House dinner on Thursday. (independent.co.uk)
- The dinner began around 6:30‑7:00 p.m. and lasted about four hours, ending around 11 p.m. (independent.co.uk)
- Kid Rock said he left at 11 p.m. and described himself as "on beer seven." (independent.co.uk)
- Trump showed the guests the unfinished $330 million White House ballroom where beams were still being installed. (independent.co.uk)
- Stephen A. Smith noted that the debate between Trump and Maher lasted for hours, covering the economy and foreign policy. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “‘I’m on beer seven’: Trump’s dinner with Bill Maher, Stephen A Smith and Kid Rock”
