White House forced to walk back claim Bill Maher won't get Kennedy Center prize

White House staffers forced to walk back denials after Bill Maher was confirmed to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, according to Politico reporting.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt initially claimed the award announcement was "fake news," with communications representative Steven Cheung calling reports "literally FAKE NEWS" on social media as well.

However, an unnamed White House source later acknowledged the denial was premature, stating "anonymous...