Tommy ChristopherApr 25th, 2026, 2:22 pm

Comedian and pundit Bill Maher told his guests he once headlined a White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but it was actually a different — although similar — press dinner.

President Donald Trump will attend his first WHCD in office on Saturday night, which prompted Maher to discuss the dinner on Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, during which he told his panel how the dinner has changed:

BILL MAHER: Well, I don’t know, he’s apparently going to the, Trump is the correspondent’s dinner this year. I would, I’m very interested to see what this is going to look like, because you know, the correspondents dinner, I think I did it one year. They used to have comedians.

By the way, I said that– because I got sh*t about it, everybody, every comedian gets sh*t about, it’s the worst gig in the world, because half the people in the audience are Republican, half the Democrats, you’re going to insult anybody no matter what they say, so they always, I say, just get a magician. Just get somebody who doesn’t do political.

They’re always trying to get the political, and it’s like the worst thing.

But it was actually the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner that Maher headlined in 1995 — which led to some jokes that seem completely alien and others that sound kind of familiar:

• Well, it’s a tremendous thrill and honor to be here in the same room with probably the most-watched man in the world. Kato Kaelin is here, ladies and gentlemen!
• I noticed listening to conversations it’s very much like show business in fact i heard two senators talking before and one was saying to the other. “You’re lying to me!” The other one said “Okay but hear me out.”
• No, it’s amazing what goes on. I mean, a plane landed on the White House lawn. I didn’t even know U.S. Air flew to Washington. And the weird part is the luggage went to the Lincoln Memorial.
• I think that, like in 10 years, the word liberal is gonna be synonymous with the word gay. People will go, you know, I’m a liberal. Oh, really? Maybe you should meet my friend Bob. He’s a liberal.
• I don’t know, I just think if your name is Dick Army, maybe making a f*g joke is a little redundant, you know what I’m saying?

Watch above via RTCA.

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