Inside Trump’s four-hour dinner with Bill Maher, Stephen A Smith and Kid Rock: ‘I’m on like beer seven’

Donald Trump spent more than four hours at the White House on Thursday night with comedian Bill Maher, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and the musician Kid Rock, a gathering the guests described as friendly at times and contentious at others. It came a few weeks before the midterm elections, when polls point to heavy Republican losses amid voter worry over living costs and the war in Iran, according to The Independent.

According to Smith, Maher drove much of the conversation, pressing the president on the rescue of Afghan translators and on his dismissive stance toward economic hardship. Smith said Trump answered every question and stayed defiant under criticism. The visitors also toured the unfinished $330 million ballroom and saw a colonnade display where a framed autopen photo has replaced Joe Biden's portrait. Kid Rock, who left around 11 p.m. to catch a flight, told Fox News he was on his seventh beer.

The two television figures have traded insults with Trump for years, and Maher previously dined there in March of last year at Kid Rock's urging. Smith said Maher told Trump that disagreeing over politics need not mean hatred. Trump said the men like him, despite appearances.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →