While a lot of people like Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump impression on "SNL," two of the show's stars are shutting down criticism that they've made the President likable as a person in the process.
"Weekend Update" co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che appeared on "The View" on Monday, where they were asked about former "SNL" star Norm Macdonald's recent comments saying the show has played a role in "trivializing any danger that [he] might be. "
"If Alec's goal is to make him more likable, I would say it's not working," Jost said. "I feel like, the way he's likable, he was already likable before our show. Clearly, some people respond to him."
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View Story"He had a hit TV show, somebody liked him," added Che. "It was a fun show, he's a fun show guy."
In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Macdonald said this about how the show has handled Trump's presidency:
I love Alec Baldwin. And one of my best friends, Jim Downey, writes the political sketches. Or used to. [Downey came out of retirement to write for SNL again in the fall of 2016.] And they were great. But they were always funny. I don't know. I have different ideas on that than most. But I think they're playing into Trump's hands. Because if you satirize someone, or mock them, you're trivializing any danger that they might be. I don't know any other way to do something. You can't get a laugh without making the person more likable. Plus, I don't think comedy does anything anyway. I was reading this book—I'm kind of obsessed with Hitler, you know? And they were saying, when Hitler took power, all these comedians and sketch troupes would do Hitler. They'd put a comb under their nose. They all hated Hitler and they'd make fun of him. Hitler didn't care and then he did all those bad things. I don't want to get into the details, but this guy was no saint. So I have no historical precedent that comedy ever changed anything.
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View StoryAfter being asked if the show should thank Trump if "SNL" picks up any Emmys this year, Che added that he actually does "like Donald Trump."
"I just wish he wasn't our President. If he was the President of anywhere else, I'd be like this guy Donald Trump is hilarious, I hope he ever dies," he added.
"But he's ours, so it's not funny," Che said. "Everybody likes drunk dad, but not when he's your drunk dad."
