Comedian Bill Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Sunday night at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but there was another person who loomed large over the two-hour event.
He didn't show up and — until recently — his name adorned the building: President Donald J. Trump.
A little more than two weeks ago, Trump's name was removed from the arts center's marble facade because of a judge's order. A tarp still covers that area, blocking the removal of Trump's name from public view. The tarp has even become a bit of a tourist attraction; some people came by last night before the festivities to take photos.
During the ceremony, Woody Harrelson, a close friend of Maher's, and a business partner in a cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles, jokingly referenced the "Trump-Kennedy Center," then paused.
"Oh right, we fixed that," Harrelson said, "Not that you'd be able to notice."
The jokes aimed at the president continued.
During Maher's acceptance speech, fellow comedian Matt Friend came on stage and did a long Trump impression in which he sparred with Maher, repeated some of Trump's most disparaging remarks about him and concluded that the award should really be his.
"Why are we giving this low-ratings, lightweight jerk the Mark Twain award?" Friend asked in the voice of Trump.
During the bit, Maher referenced his dinner with Trump at the White House last year, where he had described the president as "gracious and measured."
"Why can't you always be that guy?" said Maher.
"Boring, Bill," Friend responded in character. "Who would want to see that?"
Maher joined 26 earlier recipients of the Mark Twain Prize, which is essentially a lifetime achievement award for American comedy. Past winners include Dave Chapelle, Carol Burnett, Eddie Murphy and Jon Stewart.
Maher noted that his win was especially sweet. He has previously been nominated for a slew of Emmy awards for his current show and has never won.
The ceremony will run on Netflix July 21.
Some of those who roasted him last night, including Jay Leno and Louis C.K., said what makes Maher special in this politically fraught era is that he skewers liberals and conservatives and invites both on his show, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. Just this month, Maher hosted Vice President Vance and former Vice President Mike Pence.
In a red carpet chat, Maher told NPR he hoped the award and his approach to comedy would encourage people to step outside their ideological and algorithmic bubbles.
"It's not just that people live in bubbles, it's that they want to," said Maher. "What I think is unique about our show is that we are not afraid to say to people who might be upset about it: "No, what you're doing is crazy, too."
At the end of his acceptance speech, Maher referenced famous names who had inspired him.
He cited Toto.
The audience responded with silence and puzzlement.
Maher explained he was talking not about the soft rock group. Instead, he was referring to Dorothy's dog in the Wizard of Oz.
"That's because Toto pulls back the curtain and exposes who is phony," Maher said.
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