Trump's war on comedy threatens free speech for all

[marmar]

Trump’s war on comedy threatens free speech for all
Facing Trump’s attacks, Arab American comedians navigate fear, backlash and pressure to stay silent

By Dean Obeidallah
Published November 6, 2025 9:00AM (EST)


(Salon) For more than 20 years, comedians appearing in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival, which I co-produce — have been making jokes about American presidents. In fact, we were mocking then-President George W. Bush in the midst of the so-called “war on terror.”

Not once since our festival began in 2003 did any of the Arab American comedians fear that telling jokes about Bush — or any president — could come with a cost. Nor should it. Comedians telling jokes about politicians, including the president, are as American as apple pie and the whoopee cushion — that is, until this year’s festival.

We are now confronted with a war on comedy led by President Donald Trump and an administration that has, by design, created a climate of fear and self-censorship. Every autocrat begins by silencing their country’s artists — because laughter is the enemy of fear. From Egypt to Russia, the first voices targeted are often comedians and satirists. What begins as punishing a joke quickly becomes quelling dissent.

For the first time in our 22-year history, some comedians appearing in this year’s festival have expressed concerns about telling jokes that mock Trump. They fear it could result in losing bookings, or even being fired from jobs. As the agent for one Arab American comedian put it, telling jokes that target the president is “too much of a risk in the current climate.” ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/11/06/trumps-war-on-comedy-threatens-free-speech-for-all/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. You know what that means: More Ridicule!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. MaddowBlog-'Probably illegal': Trump ups the ante in his offensive against late-night comedy

For all of the president’s efforts to convince the world that he’s some kind of strong colossus, his whining about comedy makes him look tiny and weak.

‘Probably illegal’: Trump ups the ante in his offensive against late-night comedy
For all of the president’s efforts to convince the world that he’s some kind of strong colossus, his whining about comedy makes him look tiny and weak.

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— TheBlackPage (Woke, DEI forever against fascism) (@theblackpage.bsky.social) 2025-11-04T22:46:09.602Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/probably-illegal-trump-ups-ante-offensive-late-night-comedy-rcna241875

During Trump’s Asia trip, he spoke to U.S. troops stationed in Japan, where the Republican delivered some odd and unscripted comments about the use of steam for catapults onboard warships. A few days later, NBC’s “Late Night” host Seth Meyers had a little fun at the president’s expense, joking, “This guy spends more time thinking about catapults than Wile E. Coyote.”

Meyers added, “Next, he’s gonna start complaining about how our troops don’t tie themselves to rockets anymore.”

The president apparently was not impressed. This was the entirety of the message he published to his social media platform:

Seth Meyers of NBC may be the least talented person to ‘perform’ live in the history of television. In fact, he may be the WORST to perform, live or otherwise. I watched his show the other night for the first time in years. In it he talked endlessly about electric catapults on aircraft carriers which I complain about as not being as good as much less expensive steam catapults. On and on he went, a truly deranged lunatic. Why does NBC waste its time and money on a guy like this??? — NO TALENT, NO RATINGS, 100% ANTI TRUMP, WHICH IS PROBABLY ILLEGAL!!!

For now, let’s skip over the irony of Trump whining about someone else going “on and on,” to the point of sounding like a “deranged lunatic.” Instead, it was those final words in his online rant that stood out......

They each seemed to understand a simple truth: Being president of the United States not only makes a person one of the highest-profile individuals on the planet, it also makes him or her the target of jokes. Trump may hate the idea of becoming the subject of public ridicule, but it’s simply part of the job.

After almost five years in the White House, he still hasn’t accepted this. Indeed, from Kimmel to Stephen Colbert, “Saturday Night Live” to “South Park,” the president chooses to act like a snowflake in response to comedy that hurts his feelings.

Whether he appreciates the implications or not, the more the president and his team are rattled by satire, comedians and cartoons, the more they appear weak and pathetic. For all of Trump’s efforts to convince the world that he’s some kind of strong colossus, his whining about comedy makes him look tiny.

[GreenWave]

3. We aren't allowed to laugh because he has no sense of humor.