Larry David mocks Bill Maher’s White House visit in satirical essay: 'Private Hitler was a completely different animal’

Larry David humorously mocked Bill Maher’s positive review of his White House dinner with Donald Trump by writing a satirical essay for The New York Times titled, 'My Dinner With Adolf.'
David Reflects on His Criticism and Changing Views
“I had been a vocal critic of his on the radio from the beginning, pretty much predicting everything he was going to do on the road to dictatorship,” David wrote in his fictitious account. “But eventually I concluded that hate gets us nowhere. I knew I couldn’t change his views, but we need to talk to the other side.”
Bill Maher Teases and Surprises with Positive Review
Ahead of his March 31 dinner with Trump, Bill Maher teased the event on social media, with many expecting a heated exchange. However, on the April 12 episode of Real Time, Maher surprised viewers by praising Trump, calling him "gracious" and "much more self-aware than he lets on."
Maher’s Surprising Shift in Perspective
Maher expressed that, during the dinner, everything he typically disliked about Trump was completely absent. He noted that Trump largely guided the conversation, asking, "What do you think about this?" Maher admitted that the experience was surprising, as it completely defied his expectations.
Past Animosity and Maher’s Changed Opinion
Maher, who had been a vocal critic of Trump, found his views shifting after the White House visit, despite their past animosity. Trump had previously called Maher a "low-life" and dismissed his show as "dead." However, the dinner seemed to change Maher’s perspective on the former president.
Maher remarked that a "crazy person" doesn't actually reside in the White House. Instead, he said, it's someone who often portrays a crazy character on TV, acknowledging that while it’s still troubling, it’s not as bad as he initially believed.
Larry David Mirrors Maher’s Tone and Reflects on Trump’s Private Side
David mirrored Maher’s tone, humorously recalling how he joked about Trump wearing a tan suit, which he thought would seem "un-Führer-like." This comment made Trump laugh, and David realized he'd never seen him laugh before. He reflected that the private version of Trump felt surprisingly more genuine, completely different from the public persona he had expected.