NPR has a new interview out today with former SNL cast member Taran Killam to promote his feature directorial debut Killing Gunther, and when asked about Trumpās now-infamous SNL hosting stint in 2015, Killam offered a candid response. āIt was rough. It was not enjoyable at the time and something that only grows more embarrassing and shameful as time goes on,ā he said. āI donāt necessarily put so much weight into [the idea of] Trump hosting SNL helping him become president, but thereās definitely something where it normalizes him and it makes it OK for him to be part of the conversation.ā
Killam went on to say that, looking back, āthereās nothing good I can take from that weekā and that, during the table read, he and the rest of the cast could hear the anti-Trump protesters outside 30 Rock. āI am embarrassed, upon reflection, just because of how everyone was right. Every person outside of that building protesting was absolutely right.ā He also shared his thoughts on SNL having Trump host then being seen as a mainstream āvoice of oppositionā to Trump:
It certainly feels like thereās some hypocrisy there. I guess you could say, āOh, theyāre righting wrongs.ā And I donāt even think itās righting wrongs. I think the show tries to ā and in particular, Lorneās outlook is ā play to both sides. Play to the masses, play to whatever the popular opinion is. But, boy, they could definitely mine some comedy out of owning up to it, huh?
Check out the rest of the interview here.