Comedian Bill Maher has criticized President Trump over the criticism of his nomination for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Maher stated that he was not looking for a fight with the president and had a long-standing relationship with him, dating back to when he was sued by Trump for $5 million in 2013. He dismissed Trump's clapbacks and urged him to "get it off your chest" before accepting the award. The White House initially dismissed The Atlantic's reporting that Maher would receive the award as "fake news". However, after further discussions, the situation changed.