“I’m not a villain here” — Bill Maher fires back at Donald Trump meeting criticism

Comedian and television host Bill Maher has been a critic of President Donald Trump. The two have also exchanged thoughts about each other on social media, which became a talking point in the past. However, Maher was invited for a dinner at the White House with the POTUS.

As Maher went for dinner, it did not sit well with many. He was widely criticized for dining with the person whom he had opposed for several years. Recently, Maher appeared on the 2 Angry Men podcast and addressed the criticism he has received in the past two weeks.

Bill Maher joined Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos to discuss the dinner, which has also been called a PR stunt by the president. During the episode, Maher claimed that he did not "give up my principles," but nobody noticed that. He said,

"I would say to them, as opposed to what? I had the opportunity to go to the White House and talk to the president and not give up my principles. It seems like nobody noticed that."

"I didn't go MAGA. I had the opportunity to talk to Donald Trump and say things to him that maybe he never hears, literally to speak truth to power. I shouldn't take that opportunity? Again, don't do that? OK," he further claimed.

Addressing the criticism, Maher argued that he is not a "villain" and should rather be considered a hero for speaking up to President Donald Trump.

"I'm not the villain here."

He defended his meeting with Trump and said that he

"should be a hero for being one of the people who got inside the inner sanctum and was able to say to this person."

Maher also argued that he was able to "say those things and stick to my guns."

During the podcast, Bill Maher also criticized Trump for his latest actions and called them "just crazy." He alleged that the president is "threatening to send home-grown Americans to foreign prisons is just outrageous."

Bill Maher says Donald Trump is self-aware and measured

The audience was seemingly eager to learn details about Bill Maher's private meeting with Donald Trump. During the April 11 episode of his show, Real Time With Bill Maher, the comedian opened with a monologue in which he shared many details about his meeting with the president.

Besides the comedian, Kid Rock and UFC CEO Dana White were also present at the dinner. Talking about meeting Trump in private, Maher mentioned that the former is "much more self-aware than he lets on in public." However, he further argued that who Trump is at a private dinner does not matter. What matters is that "who he is on the world stage."

"Why can't we get the guy I met to be the public guy?" Maher added.

In the end, Bill Maher called Trump "gracious and measured" and wondered why he is not always the same.

"And I can't answer, and it's not my place to answer. I'm just telling you what I saw," Maher concluded.

Bill Maher and Donald Trump have often had public arguments. The president once filed a lawsuit against the comedian in 2013, but later dropped the case. The two have also targeted each other on social media.