Bill Maher accepts Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center as tarp hides Trump's name

A politically charged ceremony

Bill Maher accepted the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize on Sunday, using his speech to mock both the political right and left. He referenced President Trump, who did not attend, and his attacks on him. "Now the president, when he is in attack mode, never fails to say I am part of the lunatic left," Maher said. "Okay, he's not wrong that there is one. I'm just not part of it." He added that when either side gets mad at his jokes, his message is simple: "You want to not get mocked? Stop being funny." Maher called laughter "people's inescapable truth detector." Comedian Matt Friend impersonated Trump on stage, demanding the award, to which Maher replied, "Just take it. I am used to losing awards."

The tarp and the legal fight

Guests arrived to find a tarp concealing most of the center's name, a remnant of a court order that Trump's name be removed from the facade. Workers had placed scaffolding and the tarp earlier this month so the removal could not be seen. A judge has given the center until the end of next month to explain the tarp's purpose, while Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) filed suit challenging the addition of Trump's name. Maher called the tarp "hysterical" and said it made the event "better and funnier." Jay Leno described it as "high school with money" and "vanity."

Guests and tributes

A lineup of comedians and public figures honored Maher, including Louis C.K., Jay Leno, Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, John Mellencamp, Arianna Huffington, and Stephen A. Smith. Jerry Seinfeld spoke via video from Las Vegas. Louis C.K., facing sexual misconduct allegations, said Maher "offered to help me when no one else would." Cummings delivered a biting joke about Trump: "I actually heard Trump may come tonight but he couldn't make it. He got caught in sex traffic." Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) were among the attendees.

An institution in flux

The ceremony took place as the Kennedy Center faces an uncertain future. The center has shed staff and adjusted programming in anticipation of a possible two-year closure, with Trump's plans for the institution unclear. Many artists have canceled appearances since Trump took control, but Maher said he had no hesitation accepting the honor. "He's president. He's a caretaker. He's an employee right now. The country endures. This endures. Comedy endures," Maher told reporters. The event will stream on Netflix on July 21.