White House U-turns On ‘fake News’ Denial That Bill Maher Will Get Kennedy Center Award – But Insists It Was ‘right At The Time’

The White House has U-turned connected its denial of reports that Bill Maher would person a prestigious Kennedy Center award, insisting that its comments were correct astatine nan time.

The comedian will person nan Mark Twain Prize for American Humor successful a ceremony to beryllium aired connected Netflix successful June. The Atlantic first reported nan news past week, though officials astatine nan clip blasted nan study arsenic “fake news.”

“This is clone news,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told nan outlet. “Bill Maher will NOT beryllium getting this award.” Communications Director Steven Cheung added: “Literally FAKE NEWS.”

Now nan White House says it will hap aft all.

“This was mendacious reporting astatine nan clip of nan Atlantic’s reporting, but nan business changed aft further conversations took spot betwixt nan Trump-Kennedy Center and arena organizers complete nan past week,” a authorities spokesperson said.

Kennedy Center officials were expected to denote nan news officially later Thursday, pinch nan ceremonial owed to beryllium 1 of nan past nationalist events earlier nan institution shuts down for 2 years for renovations astatine Trump’s direction.

The president has travel nether occurrence for his involution successful nan center’s affairs, already having ordered it renamed nan “Trump-Kennedy Center,” which has prompted galore performances to beryllium cancelled and ineligible action to beryllium launched.

“For astir 3 decades, nan Mark Twain Prize has celebrated immoderate of nan top minds successful comedy,” Roma Daravi, nan Kennedy Center's vice president of nationalist relations, said successful a connection shared pinch The Associated Press.

“For moreover longer, Bill has been influencing American sermon — 1 politically incorrect joke astatine a time.”

In a abstracted connection Maher said: “Thank you to nan Mark Twain people: I conscionable had nan grant explained to me, and apparently it’s for illustration an Emmy, isolated from I win.”

“I’d conscionable for illustration to opportunity that it is so humbling to get thing named for a man who’s been thrown retired of arsenic galore schoolhouse libraries arsenic Mark Twain.”

Previous recipients of nan prize see Maher’s chap talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart and Adam Sandler.

Maher and Trump person enjoyed a tumultuous relationship, pinch nan comedian describing nan president arsenic “gracious and measured” aft attending a meal astatine nan White House pinch him successful 2025.

However, successful a station connected Truth Social past month, Trump turned connected Maher, calling him a “highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT,” adding that “it was a full discarded of clip for maine to person this naughty astatine nan White House.”