Bill Maher Charmed By Trump, Some Say He Was Bamboozled

Bill Maher got into granular detail about his dinner with Donald Trump nearly 2 weeks ago at the White House, and he's convinced the authentic Trump is charming and even self-deprecating, while the President is an actor of sorts ... but a bunch of people think Bill's got it backwards.

The 'Real Time' host broke down how he broke bread with 47, saying he's a good judge of people ... having been around for a minute and performing before crowds he had to win over -- performing for 4 decades.

Bill says the REAL Trump is literally a guy you'd like to have dinner with ... filled with charm, funny, able to take criticism and fully engaging. He thinks the President -- whose persona is vastly different -- is essentially creating a character or caricature who is acting out a role.

As for the President, he does agree with some of Trump's policies, which he ticks off during his talk ... but he also makes it clear he disagrees with A LOT of DT's policies.

Now, lots of people on social media are predictably outraged at BM's assessment, to which Bill says f*** off, but there are others who know Trump well who say Bill's got it all wrong.

Some folks who have known Trump over the years say Trump's social skills are an act, well-developed and polished over many decades. After all, he needed those skills to navigate the real estate industry and high society in New York.

The same folks say in private, Trump spends a lot of time plotting revenge against his real and perceived enemies, and he's the opposite of someone who can take even constructive criticism. They say his skin bruises like a 90-year-old on blood thinners.