As President, Donald Trump waged a war of words against Saturday Night Live and other late-night comedy programs, frequently tweeting criticisms at what he called unfair (and unfunny) coverage. But in the White House, Trump’s grudge had to be carefully managed; he urged investigators in the executive branch to probe popular shows that mocked him.
From The Daily Beast:
According to two people familiar with the matter, Trump had asked advisers and lawyers in early 2019 about what the Federal Communications Commission, the courts systems, and—most confusingly to some Trump lieutenants—the Department of Justice could do to probe or mitigate SNL, Jimmy Kimmel, and other late-night comedy mischief-makers.
“It was more annoying than alarming, to be honest with you,” one source told The Daily Beast. The source explained that the shows are protected by laws that allow satire.
Still, Trump reportedly broached the topic a number of times. He “seemed disappointed to hear that there was no actual legal recourse or anything that the FCC or DOJ could do to punish late-night, anti-Trump comedy,” according to The Daily Beast.
One staffer assured Trump that they’d look into it. They didn’t.
Trump’s behind the scenes efforts to quash criticism on comedy shows resonates with his public statements. In 2019, he tweeted, “It’s truly incredible that shows like Saturday Night Live, not funny/no talent, can spend all of their time knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of ‘the other side. Like an advertisement without consequences. Same with Late Night Shows. Should Federal Election Commission and/or FCC look into this?”
At the time, Lata Nott, the executive director of the First Amendment Center at the Freedom Forum Institute in Washington, told USA Today:
The First Amendment protects us from government censorship or punishment for our speech. Going after a late-night show for making fun of a particular politician would be a clear violation of that. While there is a rule that requires broadcasters to provide equal time to opposing political candidates who request it, that’s about giving all candidates the opportunity to buy airtime.
“There’s no legal obligation for a late-night show to have an even ratio of jokes about Democrats and Republicans,” Nott added.
