Comedians including Louis C.K. and Jay Leno and political figures like Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) turned out for Bill Maher on Sunday as he receives the Kennedy Center‘s Mark Twain Prize.
Guests were greeted, though, by a reminder of the legal wrangling over Trump’s control over the arts institution: A tarp on the facade that conceals most of the name, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Speaking to reporters on the red carpet, and to a question from Bloomberg, Maher said, “I think it’s hysterical. … I mean, as much as you could try to think of his next move, you could never do it. Only he could think of that. The tarp. I just never would have gone there. To me it just makes it better and funnier, and it’s a funny event celebrating funny.”
A judge ordered Trump’s name taken off the center, and as a crowd gathered to watch it being taken down earlier this month, workers placed the tarp over scaffolding so the removal of the name could not be seen.
While a number of artists and performers have canceled shows at the center following Trump’s takeover, Maher said that he had no hesitation about accepting the honor.
He told reporters, “He’s president. He’s a caretaker. He’s an employee right now. The country endures. This endures. Comedy endures. Mark Twain forever. All my friends are forever. You really think because he was president I was going to let all that stop here.”
He said that everyone he asked to appear at the ceremony agreed to come.
Trump was not expected to attend the ceremony, but Maher said, “He will probably never see this, unless he comes, which is also possible, because anything is possible.”
Leno also called the tarp on the front of the center “hilarious.”
“You know what’s funny? It’s vanity. It’s not a war, it;s not people getting killed. It’s not antisemitism. It’s not racism. It’s a silly thing covering a name. I mean, what’s funnier than that? You know, it’s high school with money.”
“It’s ridiculous. Like, why is that up there? I don’t know why it;s up there, but it makes me laugh.”
A judge has given the center until the end of next month to explain the purpose of the tarp. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member who filed suit challenging the addition of Trump’s name to the center. The center has said that the scaffolding and tarp are still there as part of the renovation project.
Among those honoring Maher, in addition to Louis C.K. and Leno, were Arianna Huffington, Stephen A. Smith, Woody Harrelson and Whitney Cummings.
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