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‘SNL’ Alum Recalls the ‘Embarrassing and Shameful’ Donald Trump Guest-Hosting Appearance

Oct 17, 2017  •  Post A Comment

One of the former regulars on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” revisited the night when then-candidate Donald Trump guest-hosted the show almost two years ago, telling NPR that the incident “only grows more embarrassing and shameful as time goes on.”

Taran Killam, who did Trump impersonations on the show before Alec Baldwin got the role, recalled that protesters gathered outside the studio during Trump’s appearance in November 2015.

“We could hear the protests during our table read,” Killam told NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute.” “As we’re reading 40 mediocre sketches, we just hear, ‘No Trump! Donald Trump!’ … I am embarrassed, upon reflection, just because of how everyone was right. Every person outside of that building protesting was absolutely right.”

Killam also said: “It was not enjoyable at the time and something that only grows more embarrassing and shameful as time goes on. I don’t necessarily put so much weight into [the idea of] Trump hosting ‘SNL’ helping him become president, but there’s definitely something where it normalizes him and it makes it OK for him to be part of the conversation.”

Killam added: “I don’t think the intention of having him on was ever politically based. … But I don’t think it was considered — the implications that it had then and could have moving forward. And I think looking back … there’s nothing good I can take from that week. Because he’s not an enjoyable person to be around — he’s from a different class; he’s from a different way of life. There was never any common ground.”

Killam also recalled: “The most heartbreaking moment at the time: We’re at the host dinner, and he brings [his wife] Melania and he brings [his daughter] Ivanka and [son-in-law] Jared [Kushner]. And he says [to SNL creator Lorne Michaels], ‘You know, Lorne, if I don’t win this thing, I’m gonna be fine. We just bought this beautiful piece of property in Scotland. If I have to be president, I’m never gonna see that thing.’ And that that was his priority in that moment, that that was even a consideration, made me sad.”

 

12 Comments

  1. Because Killam is a political know-it-all. What a moron. Sheesh. Stick to your little “mediocre” sketches and STFU.

    • And because Trump is a seasoned politician who had no business being a game show host, right?

  2. With every story that comes out I am less and less likely to watch any network programming at all, certainly nothing that airs late night.

  3. Yeah, he’s the moron, not you, “Mr. Wonderful”, right? Have you been paying *any* attention at all, this year, or are you so in the tank for this orange clown that he can do no wrong in your eyes? He’s pretty much done everything wrong in the first nine months of his “Presidency.”

  4. Tim, my advice to you is to stop watching CNBC and CNN – your poor head is stuck in an echo chamber. Trump has done more positive things for this country in his first year than Obama has over the 8 years in as POTUS. Hmmm, I recall Obama giving billions of dollars to Iran in the dead of night… an enemy of this country! I bet you thought that was a brilliant move? Oh, how about 8 years of doing nothing about North Korea and their development of nukes? Now they have the potential to strike main land USA. I guess you are okay with that? How about Obama doubling the national debt from 10 trillion to 20 trillion in just 8 years – you okay with that? Oh, how about him letting Hillary turning over 20% of our country’s uranium to Russia? Obama let that happen. Really, Tim, take the blinders off and start facing facts that Obama was a menace to this country. It’s about time we have a pro-American president in the WH.

  5. Mr Wonderful…you’re a liar.

  6. Mr Wonderful might not be a liar – he’s just ignorant and mislead. To think that Trump truly cares about the average American is laughable. Look at healthcare; does repealing help the lower and middle class? No. Does his proposed tax reform plan help working class people or the rich elite? The rich. And by the way, lowering taxes on the rich will most definitely increase the National Debt. Is North Korea more of problem now because of Trump or Obama? Trump. The idea that North Korea wouldn’t have been developing nuclear weapons, or that we could have stopped it if Trump was in the White House sooner is laughable. Does Trump respect women, care about women’s rights? Abortion. Comments about sexual assault. No he does not. It’s embarrassing, terrifying and confounding that he’s President, yet we have to face the fact that there are many Americans who continue to support the idea that Trump is what the country needs right now. Until we address the core problems that many lower and middle class citizens face and change those minds, we’re destined to be stuck with him.

  7. I feel such a sense of pity for the anti-Trump people that comment here as well as all these Hollywood types who cry in their Grey Goose vodka and lament how poorly things are now that trump is President while the skeletons keep piling up in their own closets. Trump won! Hillary LOST! Get over it! Do any of you see the rich irony (as well as the hypocrisy) of Hillary commenting while in London that we have a “serial sexual predator” in the oval office when her own husband actually WAS a predator (as opposed to making a crass comment)?? Actions have always spoken louder than words. It’s like the parable Jesus used in the bible about commenting on the spec in someone else’s eye, when there is a log in your own.
    Killam talks about how he had nothing in common with Trump, yet Trump overwhelmingly won the “working persons” vote. He won the vast amount of states and crushed Hillary in the Electoral College. Mr Killam: Who is out of touch with America?? I’ll give you a hint…it’s not Trump.

  8. Well stated Sir William. BTW – Teddy Roosevelt’s comment is loaded with the typical MSNBC talking points with zero facts. “Does repealing (Obamacare) lower and middle class?” Geeeeeeeee, Teddy – unless you have a crystal ball – YOU DON’T KNOW! What we do know is they shoved Obamacare down our throats — remember the famous Palosi line “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.” Remember Obama’s famous line “You can keep your doctor” – LIE! Obamacare is a failure and guess what – if nothing is done and we just keep Obamacare the way it is – it will die anyway because it isn’t sustainable. Moooving on… Lowering taxes not on the rich – but on the companies run by the rich… this is so they have the incentive to hire more Americans and spend their money and invest in new business infrastructure in the USA. On another topic – North Korea… Yes, Teddy, other President’s in the past could have done something about North Korea’s quest for nukes… but alas, they were to timid to confront China on the issue — Trump is not afraid to do it. —— Now onto women… talk to Hillary and Bill about that… oh, that’s right – it’s an inconvenient truth for the left. Sooo, Teddy, what’s terrifying is how uninformed and brainwashed you and the left are. Seriously, stop watching MSNBC, CNN or listening to the garbage on NPR. Try learning the facts and the truth with what is going on. Don’t be a lemming.

  9. Bill Clinton had consensual sex with an intern, and there are a few women who say that he harassed or forced them. Not good, but Trump has many, many more women who have come forward, and he has admitted himself that he “grabbed ’em by the pussy”. So if you really believe that it was an impeachable offense in Clinton’s case – and Monica Lewinsky has always insisted that it was consensual – then why is Trump given a pass?

    Because he says it was all locker room talk? Both men say they have never had sex that wasn’t consensual and it’s either false accusation or “locker room talk”. If you really think that this has something to do with political parties or ideology, or that it’s more important to score points against Hillary Clinton and defend Donald Trump than to recognize that we have a sexual predator in the White House, then I think you’re missing the big picture or your priorities are out of whack.

  10. Mr Wonderful – Let’s breakdown how you’re wrong and this is just about taking a blind side and ignoring facts. Repealing Obamacare without a replacement is stupid and will leave millions without healthcare, that’s a fact for which you don’t have an answer. Taxes. You’re wrong again. This is not just about tax cuts for corporations, which, by the way have NEVER shown to increase the number of employees following a big tax break. It’s not my opinion, it’s fact. And you naturally side stepped the point about the rich being granted a huge tax break while the middle and working classes get a marginal break in comparison. That’s a fact based on the information about this new tax plan that’s been released, look it up. Wrong about North Korea without stating any facts. Laughable that you still need to use Hillary and Bill Clinton as punching bags, so sad. Yes, Trump did win, we’re well aware. Now what has he achieved? Nothing. Keeping screaming into your echo chamber and let us know when he’s actually accomplished something. And by the way – I’d vote for John McCain today and a variety of other Republicans in a heartbeat. And so would many other Republicans.

  11. Teddy and Angela should sit in a room – stare at each other – and talk about all the things they have no clue about. It will make them feel good – and best of all – they’d be right!

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