Has Donald Trump finally lost it? - his $5 million Bill Maher lawsuit and Beyonce’s Super Bowl dancing a “national scandal”

By: Amy Andrews | Published Friday, February 15, 2013, 9:31 AM | Updated Friday, February 15, 2013, 9:31 AM

Eccentric billionaire Donald Trump

Failing to find the humor in a joke can literally cost you - if not in dollars then in public respect. Just ask Donald Trump, 66. In a world class fit of pique the blustering billionaire recently filed suit against Irish American comedian Bill Maher.

Last election season Maher watched with interest when Trump offered to pay $5 million of his own money to charity if an interested source would release Barack Obama's college records.

Seeking to disgrace the president Trump also outed himself as a billionaire birther, a development that led to the peals of derisive laughter from Maher, who in turn offered to pay $5m to charity of Trump's choice if the orange faced oligarch could prove his father was not an orangutan.

According to the Guardian Trump quickly produced a birth certificate that conclusively proved his father was not a primate, but a human named Fred. Now he claims he wants Maher's $5 million check, which he has promised to donate to charity.

But critics say the belligerent billionaire knows he won't prevail in court, and that's not his interest anyway. What Trump really wants to maintain, critics say, is the public spotlight, and not his already birther damaged reputation.

Read more: Donald Trump's children attack him over Obama bashing

As part of his campaign to keep the Trump name in the spotlight he has been taking shots at bonafide stars, including A-list pop star Beyonce Knowles. On the Howard Stern show this week Trump called Beyonce's Super Bowl performance 'ridiculous' and 'inappropriate,' claiming the singer was simply too 'suggestive' for a national audience.

'When Beyonce was thrusting her hips forward in a very suggestive manner, if someone else would have done that it would have been a national scandal,' Trump said. 'I thought it was ridiculous… I thought it was not appropriate.'

Trump said he thought it was strange that no one else has criticized her for her scandalous dance moves. 'There's been no mention of it,' he said. 'So obviously, it must not have been so bad. She gets a pass.'

And he gets more headlines.

Read more: Donald Trump presents birth certificate to Bill Maher to prove his father was not an orangutan