Bill Maher Says Trump Fell for China's ‘Red Carpet' Treatment in Brutal Monologue
Bill Maher is once again taking aim atDonald Trump, and this time it's over the president's recent visit to China.
During the Friday, May 15, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian delivered a lengthy monologue mocking Trump's trip to Beijing and joking that Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to win the president over with spectacle and ceremony, per multiple outlets.
"I can just tell they're better now. I ordered take out today [and] the menu said go ahead, make some substitutions," Maher joked while discussing U.S.-China relations. He suggested the summit largely avoided difficult political issues, instead becoming what he portrayed as a carefully staged display designed to flatter Trump.
"Our two countries have a lot of issues between them," Maher said. "But it seemed like in this summit they were mostly avoided. No demands except: you have to try these dumplings."
He also poked fun at Trump's praise of Xi throughout the visit, joking, "Trump says with Xi there's no games with him. It's getting a little weird, at one point Xi told his translator: tell Trump don't catch feelings."
Much of Maher's criticism centered around the pageantry of the trip, arguing that China understood exactly how to appeal to Trump's personality. "China knows what Trump likes. What does he like? He likes the pomp, and the parades, and he likes the red carpet," Maher said.
Trump also addressed comments he made earlier that day about not considering Americans' financial situations while negotiating with Iran. Speaking to Fox News, Trump doubled down on earlier remarks in which he said his primary concern was preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, rather than the potential economic impact the conflict could have domestically.
Maher has increasingly used his HBO platform to criticize what he sees as political spectacle and presidential overreach. Earlier this year, he also sparked headlines after calling the State of the Union address a "stupid, boring, performative after-dinner speech from hell," arguing the tradition makes presidents appear "like a king."
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 11:03 AM.