Trump Critic Bill Maher Receives Mark Twain Humor Prize in Washington

Comedian Bill Maher received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Maher is known as a sharp critic of Trump. The Kennedy Center is simultaneously embroiled in a legal dispute over President Donald Trump's attempt to reshape the institution's leadership and character.

Comedian Bill Maher received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday, 29 June 2026, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. Maher is one of the most prominent Trump critics in American entertainment.

The award ceremony took place while the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts itself has been drawn into a legal dispute over President Donald Trump's efforts to change the management and character of the cultural institution. Washington's most important cultural landmarks thus faces two distinct pressures at the same time.

The Mark Twain Prize for Humor is awarded each year and is one of the most prestigious honors for American comedians and humorists. In previous years, it has been received by several prominent figures from American entertainment.