Bipartisan show of support for Bill Maher at Kennedy Center, as Trump looms large

It’s an award fully focused on comedy, yet some serious drama surrounded the Kennedy Center as Bill Maher received this year’s Mark Twain Prize. But the controversy about the name and future of the Kennedy Center didn’t stop several stars and a bipartisan group of lawmakers from heading to the performing arts hub in a show of support for the “Real Time” host.

“It’s kind of goofy if you’re going to boycott coming here to an event,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told ITK on the red carpet ahead of the 27th annual Mark Twain Prize ceremony on Sunday. 

“I don’t care what name’s on [the Kennedy Center building], I’m going to show up, especially if I have an opportunity to honor Bill Maher, without a doubt,” Fetterman said.

The ceremony for Maher came just weeks after a federal judge’s May ruling that blocked the rebranding of the Kennedy Center to include President Trump’s name. The Kennedy Center board of trustees — which last year, in an unprecedented move, Trump named himself as chairman — appealed the judge’s order. The Mark Twain Prize ceremony was originally billed as the final major event at the Kennedy Center ahead of a two-year closure for renovations, in a controversial move announced by the president. The federal judge also halted the closure. 

A few signs of Trump’s influence remained — a tarp covering the name of the Kennedy Center on the exterior of the building was visible as well as a portrait of the president that hung near the red carpet. 

Stephen A. Smith told reporters that giving the top comedy award to Maher — a frequent critic of the president........

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