White House Blocks Bill Maher's Mark Twain Prize

Reports emerged Friday that comedian and HBO host Bill Maher had been selected to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., only for the White House to intervene and block the honor shortly after the news broke.

According to accounts from multiple sources familiar with the matter, the Kennedy Center, which has awarded the prize annually since 1998 to recognize contributions to American humor, informed Maher of the selection earlier this week. The honor, typically presented in a gala event that streams on Netflix, has gone to figures such as Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Tina Fey, Lily Tomlin and last year's recipient, Conan O'Brien. Maher, a longtime political commentator known for his HBO series Real Time with Bill Maher, was said to be seriously considering the offer but had not yet accepted it when the White House stepped in.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed the reports in a statement, calling them "fake news" and asserting that "Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award." White House Communications Director Steven Cheung echoed the denial on social media, labeling the claims "Literally FAKE NEWS." The...