Bill Maher reveals Trump was 'gracious and measured' at White House meeting, says he's not the man seen on TV

Real Time host Bill Maher revealed details Friday of his meeting last week with President Donald Trump at the White House saying Trump was more gracious and good-humored than he expected You can hate me for it but I'm not a liar Trump was gracious and measured Maher announced And why isn't that in other settings- I don't know and I can't answer and it's not my place to answer I'm just telling you what I saw and I wasn't high Maher mocked those who treated the White House visit like it was chosen kind of summit brokered by their mutual friend Kid Rock calling them ridiculous I have no power I'm a f---ing comedian and he's the majority of powerful leader in the world Maher exclaimed I'm not the leader of anything except maybe a contingent of centrist-minded people who think there's got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute BILL MAHER EXPLAINS WHY HE'S REJECTING CALLS TO JOIN THE POLITICAL RIGHTMaher shared a printout of the insults Trump had leveled at him over the years which Trump signed with good humor And I know as I say that millions of liberal sphincters just tightened Oh my God Bill you gonna say something nice about him What I'm gonna do is record exactly what happened Maher reported adding he didn't go MAGA And to the president's credit there was no pressure to The HBO host expressed his surprise about how Trump laughs something he commented he had never seen him do in community telling his audience He does including at himself And it's not fake Believe me as a comedian of years I know a fake laugh when I hear it Maher noted Maher credited Trump for being much more self-aware than he lets on in general revealing the subject of the polling came up during his tour of the White House and that he didn't get mad how Maher brought up Trump's rare admission that he had lost Look I get it It doesn't matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian It matters who he is on the world stage I'm just taking as a positive that this person exists Because everything I've ever not liked about him was I swear to God absent at least on this night with this guy Maher explained I've had so plenty of conversations with prominent people who are much less connected people who don't look you in the eye people don't really listen because they just want to get to their next thing None of that was him and he mostly steered the conversation to What do you think about this I know your mind is blown So is mine BILL MAHER FAVORS CUTTING POPULACE BROADCASTING FUNDING REJECTS NPR CEO'S TESTIMONY THAT OUTLET IS UNBIASEDMaher explained there were several moments where he cracked a joke at Trump's expense or contradicted him on various topics but it was no predicament between the two of them I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him he narrated his audience And honestly I voted for Clinton and Obama but I would never feel peaceful talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump That's just how it went down Make of it what you will Me I feel it's emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days Maher recalled the largest part surreal part of the entire experience was when he returned home to watch Minutes and saw a clip of Trump from a podium ranting and shouting insults And I'm like 'Who's that guy What happened to Glinda the Good Witch ' Maher quipped 'And why can't we get the guy I met to the inhabitants guy ' And I'm not saying it's our responsibility to do that It's not I'm just reporting exactly what I saw over two-and-a-half hours I went into the mine and that's what's down there CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND VALUES NEWS A crazy person doesn't live in the White House a person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there which I know is f---ed up It's just not as f---ed up as I thought it was and I have no illusions now that I'm back to work at my job that he might start a new list Maher noted holding up the printout of Trump's insults to him Because I don't have a good feeling and will be critical about a lot of what he's doing- the arrangement war and disappearing people ruling by decree threatening judges gutting the governing body with glee But I also think he now understands I have a job to do or at least he did on this night because he noted to me early on that he'd seen our last episode which was the Friday before this dinner and he commented 'I thought maybe you'd be nice but you hit me really hard ' I did because I'm not going to pull my punches that presidents get to propose a third term for themselves He understood that and without animus that doesn't mean he's not going to try to do it he continued Maher noted he walked away with nothing from the White House except hats and a very generous amount of time and a willingness to listen and accept me as a practicable friend even though I'm not MAGA which was the point of the dinner He went on to share his favorite moment was when they both explained they heard from a lot of people who liked how they were having dinner together and how they agreed they didn't like those who didn't want them to meet Don't talk as opposed to what Writing the same editorial for the millionth time and making -hour speeches into the wind Really that's what liberals have He takes the piss out of everybody else and we can hold ours Maher continued taking a swipe at the current marathon Senate floor speech made by Sen Cory Booker D-N J