\n Comedian and Trump critic Bill Maher on Sunday received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington institution that is entangled in a legal battle over President Donald Trump\u2019s effort to overhaul it.\n <\/p>\n
\n The center \u2014 which Trump has sought to put his stamp on<\/a> \u2014 was set to temporarily close its doors for a yearslong renovation, but is now faced with difficult financial choices<\/a> after a judge ordered it to continue operating. Plummeting ticket sales, artist withdrawals, political controversies and a diminished staff have made restarting a full-scale programming schedule a challenge, multiple sources familiar with the operation previously told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n Maher noted the potential closure during remarks on the red carpet before the event, saying, \u201cThis is the last show here for at least two years.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt is a beautiful building. They keep talking about how they need to renovate. It looks perfectly fine to me. I don\u2019t see one thing that needs a single thing changed,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n The performing arts center has been at the center of Trump\u2019s remaking of Washington, DC \u2014 and the limits he faces in enacting his wishes. Two weeks ago, the Kennedy Center complied<\/a> with a judge\u2019s order in removing Trump\u2019s name from the building, which was added by the president\u2019s handpicked board of trustees.\n <\/p>\n \n The administration has told the court the name is gone \u2014 but a tarp still covers the spot<\/a> where it hung, leaving the removal hidden from public view.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cFinally, an award from my dear friend, ironically at the Trump Kennedy Center. No \u2014 oh right, we fixed that,\u201d actor Woody Harrelson quipped onstage during the Sunday event.\n <\/p>\n \n Maher has been a target of the president\u2019s ire, but also dined with Trump at the White House in 2025. The comedian praised the president after the dinner, though their relationship has remained tense. In February, Trump called Maher a \u201cjerk,\u201d dismissed their 2025 White House dinner as \u201ca total waste of time,\u201d and said the comedian suffers from \u201cTrump Derangement Syndrome.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019d rather be fighting and yelling \u2014 that\u2019s his way of talking,\u201d Maher told CNN on the red carpet ahead of the event. \u201cI\u2019d rather the channels be open; anything is better than the channels being shut off.\u201d\n <\/p>\n