"The View" has weighed in on President Donald Trump's 1,300-word social media rant against Bill Maher.
The talk show hosts ridiculed the president on the Monday, Oct. 26, episode, with Sara Haines quipping, "He could try leading the country."
Alyssa Farah Griffin, Trump's former White House communications director, reacted to Trump's post by asking, "How much time does he have on his hands?" Griffin, who has been critical of Trump since she left her position in December 2020, added that unlike Maher, she would not "say yes to a social call at the White House."
She continued, "I would always say yes in two forms: in a journalist capacity, if you’re there and they say you can interview the president and nothing’s off limits, or in an advocacy capacity."
Ana Navarro, who recently said there was "no way in hell" she would "want to break bread [with] or be in the same room with a man whose administration is hunting Latinos," posited that the two-term president has a quid pro quo relationship with those he invites to events.
"For me, Donald Trump is a lost cause, and he just proved it. What he expects from having people over to the White House for a four-hour boozy dinner is that they’re going to leave there and use their giant platforms to kiss his a--," she said. "When that doesn’t happen, he doesn't like it."
She added, "When you go and eat Donald Trump's food and drink Donald Trump's booze, expect that what he wants is for you to get out there and lie about Donald Trump."
What Trump said about Bill Maher
On Oct. 15, Maher dined with Trump, Kid Rock and ESPN host Stephen A. Smith at the White House – the second time the "Real Time with Bill Maher" host was hosted by the president.
In Maher's first "Real Time" taping following the meeting, he opened the Oct. 23 episode by discussing the president's low approval ratings ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
In his Oct. 25 Truth Social post, Trump repeatedly disparaged Maher, calling him a "total loser," "not very smart" and a "major pothead" who has "got to stop." He alleged that Maher's "lied" about Trump's approval ratings and wrote that though he "thought it was a good meeting," the dinner "was a waste of time."
Trump directly addressed Maher by writing, "Don't call anymore," and added, "You’re a hopeless guy who is just trying to cater to your small group of 'fans.'"
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Maher for comment.
Previously, in a February Truth Social post, Trump reflected on his first April 2025 meeting with Maher as a "total waste of time for me to have this jerk at the White House." The 500-word post appeared to be a reaction to Maher's mocking coverage of one of the president's recent social media posts.
Sara Haines praises Obama, criticized Trump's comments on people's butts
Earlier in "The View" episode, the panelists discussed the juxtaposition between Trump's and Obama's recent rally speeches. Haines agreed with Sunny Hostin's remark that clips from their appearances showed "a tale of two presidents."
"You have Obama talking about the war in Iran, the tariffs, substantial things that are happening and explaining what it's doing for the American people. And you've got Trump talking about [butts] again, each time starting with 'I never do this,'" Haines said.
"There's lots of stuff here that Trump just kind of says, 'Look over here' with strange words and crazy sentences, and to have Obama – I forgot what it was like to have a leader that truly led and spoke with such integrity and confidence."
Haines added that the Democrats "have to seize the moment" and improve their messaging on results they promise to deliver to voters.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The View' rips Trump over Bill Maher feud: 'Try leading the country'
