Facebook Pixel 'The resistance' Comedy stars gather at flagship venue to ridicule president | The Guardian - newspaper - Les denne historien på Magzter.com

Prøve GULL - Gratis

'The resistance' Comedy stars gather at flagship venue to ridicule president

The Guardian

|

March 25, 2025

Leading comedians have defied Donald Trump's takeover of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in a show that one described as "the most entertaining gathering of the resistance, ever".

- David Smith

'The resistance' Comedy stars gather at flagship venue to ridicule president

Trump did not attend Sunday's ceremony for the Mark Twain prize for American humour honouring Conan O'Brien for his lifetime achievement in comedy. But Trump's ears may have been burning as comics and celebrities joked at his expense in what became a rallying cry for freedom of artistic expression.

No one was more direct than Sarah Silverman, who spoke about appearing on O'Brien's TV show. "They wrote a bit where Conan interviews Hitler, who comes on because he's embarrassed that he's being compared to Donald Trump," she recalled, "and they cast me as Hitler."

Silverman, a Jewish woman, was not an obvious choice for the part. "They chose me, and it's this way of thinking that makes Conan great again."

Turning to look at O'Brien, who has ginger hair, she added: "I just really miss the days when you were America's only orange asshole." The audience erupted in laughter.

Silverman also referenced an episode of O'Brien's show in which she took a sideways photo of his mouth so that it resembled a vagina. She urged the audience to look under their seats for a photo of O'Brien's lips then alluded to Trump's notorious boast on Access Hollywood about touching women's genitals.

She added: "You go ahead and leave those photos on your seat when you go. The guy who took over loves grabbing pussy."

Trump's seizure of the Kennedy Center in Washington has shaken the arts world. The fact change had come to the venue was clear from the moment celebrities walked a red carpet opposite a wall mounted with gold-framed photos of Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, and the vice-president and second lady, JD Vance and Usha Vance.

It was the first signature event there since Trump last month appointed himself the chair, pushing out the billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Guardian

The Guardian

‘Sensible’ no more? Gen Z binge drinking rates soar

Binge drinking rates among gen Z have tripled since they were in their teens, according to research that challenges their reputation as “generation sensible”.

time to read

1 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

As bombs fall on Tehran, Iran’s football future is dealt decisive blows

From the World Cup to the Women's Asian Cup and AFC Champions League, these are troubled times fora proud nation, writes John Duerden

time to read

3 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

The empty skies How the US-Israeli war created a massive hole in global airspace

A war engulfing the Middle East has cleared the region's skies, forcing airlines to make drastic rerouting plans and leaving a void in usually busy global airspace.

time to read

3 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

Many urban residents have no green space in walking distance

There are urban areas of England where no one lives within a 15-minute walk of space that includes nature, new government data shows, as ministers scramble to meet their access to nature targets.

time to read

1 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

He may be no Churchill, but Starmer has the support of the public in ignoring Trump's jibes

It was perhaps the most attention-grabbing moment of prime minister’s questions.

time to read

2 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

Burnham in warning to Labour after election loss

‘Andy Burnham has reignited hostilities with Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership, criticising what he described as the “bankruptcy” of the party’s approach to campaigning a week after it lost the previously safe seat of Gorton and Denton.

time to read

1 min

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

Berlinale chief in free speech row stays on after actors' outcry

The American head of the Berlin film festival, Tricia Tuttle, will keep her job after a free speech row over Gaza, but the organisation will have to consider a new \"code of conduct\" to \"fight antisemitism\", the German culture ministry has said.

time to read

2 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

Covid 'chaos' finally exposed, say bereaved, as inquiry closes

Bereaved families have marked the final day of witness testimony in the long-running Covid inquiry by saying government \"incompetence, chaos and callousness is now on the public record\".

time to read

3 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

Sinkhole on golf green leads to Squire Bob's secret wine cellar

A sinkhole that opened up on a Manchester golf course has exposed a wine cellar abandoned for more than a century.

time to read

2 mins

March 05, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

Anderson salvages draw for Forest as City slip back in title race

“Vamos, vamos!” screamed Rodri in his native Spanish following a 62nd-minute header that seemed to grab a precious victory for Manchester City.

time to read

3 mins

March 05, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size