US President Donald Trump has lashed out at American comedian Bill Maher just days after praising him following their White House dinner. In his longest-ever social media post, the 80-year-old Republican president called the comedian a "complete and total loser," accusing the HBO host of lying about their recent meeting and his approval ratings.
According to Factba.se, which tracks Trump's social media activity, the 1,322-word message was his longest among more than 97,000 posts published since 2011. The attack came after Maher, 70, discussed his October 15 dinner with Trump during Friday's episode of Real Time, where he made jokes about the president's popularity and claimed their meeting lasted four hours.
Trump, however, disputed the comedian's account, saying the dinner lasted two hours or less and that he had learned nothing from the conversation. He also claimed Maher appeared drunk during the meeting, looked nervous and repeatedly sought an invitation to the White House through his associates.
Interestingly, Trump had described the same dinner as "great" just days earlier, telling reporters that Maher liked him more than people realised. The dinner was also attended by musician Kid Rock and sports commentator Stephen A.
Smith, who separately said they had spent more than four hours at the White House. Trump also accused Maher of using a "laughter machine" to make his jokes appear funnier and questioned his claims about the president's approval ratings.
The president further revealed that he was considering relocating journalists from their existing White House workspace, but denied having any plans to turn the press briefing room into a swimming pool. He concluded the lengthy post by telling Maher not to contact him again and declaring that he would never watch his television programme again.
The incident highlights the volatile nature of the president's relationship with media figures, often shifting from public praise to intense criticism within a matter of days. Political analysts suggest that this outburst reflects the president's sensitivity regarding his public image and media coverage.
By engaging directly with critics on social media, Trump continues to bypass traditional communication channels to shape his own narrative. The White House has not issued a formal statement regarding the president's personal social media activity, maintaining that such posts represent his personal views.
Meanwhile, Maher has yet to provide a detailed rebuttal to the specific allegations made by the president in his record-breaking post. As the debate continues, observers are closely watching how this public feud might impact the broader discourse surrounding the administration's relationship with the press and entertainment industry.
The record-breaking length of the post has sparked widespread discussion online, with many users analyzing the content and the implications of such a direct confrontation between a head of state and a prominent television personality.