Members of Hollywood took aim at President Donald Trump on Sunday as they gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to celebrate television host and comedian Conan O’Brien. This comes shortly after Trump made significant changes to the leadership structure of the Kennedy Center.
Following the removal of the Kennedy Center’s leadership in February, President Trump now serves as the Kennedy Center Board Chair. Notable new members on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees include second lady Usha Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
Comedian Sarah Silverman took the opportunity to poke fun at Trump during the Mark Twain event, referencing a 2016 appearance on Conan on TBS where she portrayed Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“They wrote a bit where Conan interviews Hitler, who comes on because he’s embarrassed that he’s being compared to Donald Trump,” Silverman said.
“I am actually not an obvious choice for Hitler. I mean, I am an obvious choice for Hitler,” said Silverman, who is Jewish. “Not an obvious choice to play Hitler. But they chose me, and it’s this way of thinking that makes Conan great again. I just really miss the days when you were America’s only orange a–hole.”
Comedian John Mulaney also took jabs at Trump during the ceremony, joking about the president’s changes to the Kennedy Center and suggesting it would be renamed after Roy Cohn, a figure with ties to Trump.
Other comedians, including Will Ferrell and Nikki Glaser, also joined in poking fun at Trump’s policies and actions during the event, while still celebrating Conan O’Brien’s achievements.
Conan himself addressed the shake-up at the Kennedy Center, thanking past leadership and expressing concern for the future.
“He loved America, but knew it was deeply flawed,” O’Brien said. “Twain wrote, patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.”
O’Brien also discussed his upcoming hosting duties at the Oscars and how his material is influenced by current events and changing ideas leading up to the event.
Previous winners of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor include Ferrell, Tina Fey, Dave Chappelle, Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Sandler, and Kevin Hart.
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
