Provided Rob Lowe doesn’t appear on a presidential ticket in the next few months and Roseanne Barr doesn’t take another crack at things, Donald Trump can stride into the final stages of the 2016 White House race with the ability to boast that he’s the only candidate with Comedy Central Roast experience. (Y’know, like Calvin Coolidge would if he were given the opportunity.) Just like Trump’s current presidential bid, there was no shortage of digs directed at The Donald at the 2011 basic cable event. There was just one topic that was apparently off-limits and it’s one Hillary Clinton probably won’t agree to exclude.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with comics Anthony Jeselnik and Lisa Lampanelli about their experience roasting Trump. Subjects like cancer, 9/11 and Trump’s family were all cool by the GOP nominee, but there was one supreme taboo.
“Trump’s one rule was ‘don’t say I have less money then I say I do,'” Jeselnik tells THR. “His kids were fair game. His wife was fair game. And I remember one of my jokes was about his casino business failing, and I could feel that hurt coming off of him. He didn’t like that joke, and I told a joke about people being glad he has cancer,” he says in amazement.
The cancer joke: “Donald, I’m not sure if you’re even aware of this, but the only difference between you and Michael Douglas from the movie, Wall Street, is that no one’s going to be sad when you get cancer.”
Jeselnik still chuckles when he remembers the moment. “I called him a douchebag to his face and that wasn’t as harsh as saying ‘you don’t know how to run a casino.'”
To be fair, casino management is a much more sensitive subject than cancer. We all know someone that’s been devastated by terrible casino operating news AND THAT IS OVER THE LINE, SIR! Say what you will about Trump, but the dude lives the business titan gimmick.
Trump, who also got eviscerated at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner that year, found himself on the receiving end of some barbs about his presidential ambitions at the special. Good ones, too!
“Donald says he wants to run for President and move on into the White House,” mused Snoop Dogg. “Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time you pushed a black family out of their home.”
In Jeselnik’s view, the gauntlet of burns was more than just a TV special with a sh*tload of publicity.
“I remember thinking at the time that ‘he’s going to run for president,'” Jeselnik tells THR. “There was no reason for a guy like Trump to put himself through that. And I remember thinking ‘he thinks we’re going to punch ourselves out.’ Like, we’re going to say every mean thing that can be said, and then he kind of has a free pass to the White House.”
So if you’re upset about Donald Trump running for commander-in-chief, maybe you should point the finger of blame at The Situation for bombing and not crushing his spirit.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
