Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), a lifelong comedian and former member of “Saturday Night Live,” might be one of the world’s best living judges for the perennial question, “Is this funny?” And according to Franken, Donald Trump may be ridiculous, but he’s not “funny at all.”
Last night, Seth Meyers interviewed Franken in The Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York City for an event hosted by the famous NYC bookstore, The Strand. The roughly hour-long conversation centered around Franken’s recent book, Giant of the Senate.
Much of the interview allowed Franken to run down the same talking points he’s been using throughout the press cycle for his book. But Meyers also made sure to push the fellow former “SNL” cast member for a more unique answer here and there.
Notably, Meyers asked if Franken thought Trump was funny.
“Now, I feel like the world knows where we stand on the president,” Meyers said, allowing for a pause for crowd laughter. “I feel like the world knows where you and I stand on the president. Are there times, though, that you think that the president is funny?”
Franken seemed a bit surprised by the question.
“I don’t think he’s funny at all.”
- Sen. Al Franken on Donald Trump
“Uh, there was once, I thought ― one moment ― where I thought the president deliberately made me laugh,” said the senator, who then pivoted away from explaining what that moment entailed. “And I don’t ― it doesn’t matter. No, I don’t think he’s funny at all.”
Meyers pressed on, bringing up a recent report that Trump told people “That White House is a real dump,” before teeing off at one of his golf courses.
“I actually thought, the writing of that, that’s the funniest way of saying it,” Meyers explained. “Like ‘the’ White House is a dump is pretty funny, but ‘that’ White House ... He’s like a funny character who sometimes says the funniest version.”
On this last point, Franken relented and agreed. At least, in part.
“Oh yeah, no no, the fact that he exists is in certain ways funny,” Franken said. “But not really.”
Representatives for Franken did not immediately respond to our request for comment on what the mysterious “one moment” might have been.
At another point in the interview, Meyers expressed frustration that Republicans generally don’t want to come on his show, “Late Night.” Franken smirked and offered a humorously conclusive explanation.
“Well, they may notice that at the beginning of your show ― when you take ‘A Closer Look,’ there’s nothing but Trump bashing combined with bashing someone else in the Trump administration or one of his family,” Franken said. “So they may be going, ‘I’m uncomfortable coming on after “A Closer Look.”’”
Franken is an insider of both the comedy and political realms. His insight here is clear: It’s fine that late night shows like Meyers’ and Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” are anti-Trump, but the hosts can’t expect to bridge party lines at the same time.
“Did you really need that explanation?” Franken added. And then gave a big laugh.
