ToplineThe Kennedy Center will award comedian Bill Maher—who has maintained a personal relationship with President Donald Trump despite exchanging jabs—its Mark Twain humor prize, despite the White House denying earlier reports he’d won. Bill Maher attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Kennedy Center announced Thursday Maher will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28.The news comes after the White House denied an earlier report in The Atlantic about Maher winning, though an unnamed source told Politico Thursday “there was nothing to confirm at the time.”Maher often plays both sides of the aisle on his HBO show, criticizing both the left and Trump, who he also called “one of the most effective politicians.”Maher, who dined with Trump at the White House last year, told CNN recently that Trump regularly texts him “yelling” at him for being “still part of the lunatic left.”Crucial Quote“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” Maher said in a statement to multiple outlets. “I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”TangentThe HBO comedian recently said the U.S. “f—-ed up” its strategy in the Iran war in “a few places,” including overlooking the risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively shut down since the start of the conflict. Maher also lamented that oil facilities are being blown up, and said the U.S. underestimated Iran’s use of drones. Maher made the comments after saying at the start of the conflict he was “cautiously optimistic” about the military campaign. Key BackgroundMaher will receive the award shortly before the Kennedy Center closes for a two-year renovation spearheaded by Trump and his handpicked new board, which elected him chair. Comedian Conan O’Brien won last year’s Mark Twain award, and the awards ceremony featured multiple jabs at Trump. The new board has sought to cut so-called “woke” programming, including drag shows and LGBTQ+ Pride month events, and renamed the center to include Trump.Further ReadingKennedy Center Loses Another Of Its Directors After Trump Takeover (Forbes)Kennedy Center Will Be Renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center,’ White House Says (Forbes)‘Wicked’ Composer Stephen Schwartz Says He’ll Back Out Of Kennedy Center Hosting Gig (Forbes)