UFC President Dana White sat down with comedian Andrew Schulz on the “Flagrant” podcast Tuesday, and both men praised Bill Maher for doing something few in Hollywood would dare attempt — visiting President Donald Trump at the White House. Maher, a decades-long critic of Trump, openly admitted he was surprised by how gracious and good-humored the president was during their dinner. It stunned the left and impressed people who still believe in talking to those you disagree with.
Schulz told White, “I commend Bill for going,” and White didn’t hesitate to back him up. He revealed he was there that night and said Maher walked into the White House with an open mind — and left with something most Democrats would never admit. The dinner turned into a long, candid back-and-forth on policy and politics.
White described the night in detail. “[Maher] goes in, we sit down for dinner, and they're going back and forth on policies and what they agree with, what they don't agree with,” he said. After dinner, Trump didn’t just say goodbye — he gave Maher a full personal tour of the White House.
White emphasized the significance of that gesture. “Think about how long this guy's been supporting Democrats… Nobody's ever invited him out and toured the White House. President Trump did.” For all the accusations, Trump was the only one who treated Maher like an actual guest.
White also gave Maher credit for telling the truth on his show afterward. “The guy I've hated for 30 years was not present at this dinner,” Maher told his audience. White said Maher was honest enough to admit Trump wasn’t the monster he expected.
Schulz chimed in with a point Hollywood rarely acknowledges. Meeting someone in person gives you a “three-dimensional view” of who they are, he said, and it can rattle people who have invested years into hating someone. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, I was supposed to hate this person,’” Schulz noted. He said people panic when they realize someone they despise may actually be decent or normal.
A week later, Maher talked more about the meeting, again surprising critics. “You can hate me for it, but I'm not a liar. Trump was gracious and measured,” he said. He admitted he didn’t understand why Trump can be so different depending on the setting, but insisted he was simply telling the truth.
Maher mocked those who treated the dinner like some high-stakes political negotiation. He joked that people acted like the meeting was “some kind of summit” arranged by Kid Rock, calling the reaction “ridiculous.” Maher reminded them he’s just “a f------ comedian,” not a political powerhouse.
During the visit, Maher even showed Trump a printout of all the insults Trump had thrown at him over the years — and Trump signed it with humor. The moment showed a side of Trump the media never acknowledges but people who meet him often describe.
White revealed one final detail on the podcast. Before Maher pulled out the list of insults, Trump offered him a Coca-Cola, but Maher joked he needed “something harder than a Coke” to calm his nerves. White said he had both men sign the printout, and it now hangs proudly on the wall at UFC headquarters.