Woody Harrelson Roasts Bill Maher Over His 'Buddy' Trump Threatening to Not Let Him Into Kennedy Center to Accept Mark Twain Prize
Bill Maher joked with Woody Harrelson that Trump might not let him into the Kennedy Center.
April 21 2026, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Woody Harrelson took a swipe at pal Bill Maher over his rocky friendship-turned-feud with Donald Trump, after the HBO host claimed the president was trying to block him from appearing at the Kennedy Center, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The lively chat went down when The Hunger Games star dropped by Maher's Club Random podcast on April 20, where the Real Time host admitted he almost admired Trump's attempt to pull a "boss move" by trying to shut him out of his own award ceremony.
Bill Maher Will Be Accepting Prize at The Kennedy Center Unless Trump 'F---- It Up Again'
Maher will be receiving the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
"Woody Harrelson has graciously consented to be one of the presenters at the Mark Twain Awards on June 28th, where I will be receiving this honor," Maher announced about the highly prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
However, since it's taking place at the Kennedy Center, he noted, "Unless Trump f---s it up again, which is completely possible."
The White House initially called Maher's receiving the honor "literally fake news" in March, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt declaring the comedian "will NOT be getting this award.”
The comms team had to change their tune a week later, saying, "the situation changed after further conversations took place between the Trump-Kennedy Center and event organizers over the past week,” about Maher being allowed to accept the prize at the national culture center that the president has taken on as a pet project.
Bill Maher 'Respects' Donald Trump's Move to Ban Him From The Kennedy Center
Maher said he loves that Trump 'takes the game seriously' about their love/hate relationship.
Harrelson joked, "Isn't it nice that Trump's allowing you in? I think he's your buddy. The Politically Incorrect alum thinks there's still time for the tycoon to changes is mind.
"I loved it that they tried to block it there, and of course, I think he absolutely still could if he wanted to," Maher warned about Trump. The outspoken pundit even admitted he "respects" Trump for having the sheer nerve to try and ban him from the building.
"So, I'm just thankful, and I love it that, you know, he takes the game seriously. Like, no, 'I'm going to block this guy,'" Maher dished. "Yeah, I respect the move."
Harrelson will be on hand to be part of Maher's Mark Twain prize ceremony.
Maher got slightly emotional when thanking Harrelson for agreeing to be part of his big night.
"But I know that on June 28th, it's going to happen. We're going to be at the Kennedy Center, and I couldn't be more appreciative, honestly, that you are doing this for me," he gushed.
The Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, Roma Daravi, sang Maher's praises when announcing that he would be receiving the prize, a week after the White House made the "fake news" claim.
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy. For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time," Daravi shared.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Donald Trump Has Developed an Unusual Interest in The Kennedy Center
The Trumps held the premiere of Melania's eponymous documentary at the Kennedy Center in December 2025.
The president has taken an unusually hands-on role with the center during his second term, going so far as to rename it the Trump Kennedy Center.
Trump purged the board of all of his predecessor Joe Biden's nominees, replacing them with MAGA loyalists who went on to elect him as Chairman, a first for a sitting president.
The Commander-in-Chief is pouring $250million into an overhaul of what he called the "dilapidated" building, which is scheduled to close for two years to undergo a complete rebuild starting in July 2026.
