regrets

Taran Killam Says Having Trump Host SNL Was ‘Embarrassing and Shameful’

Photo: Tara Ziemba /AFP/Getty Images

When Donald Trump hosted Saturday Night Live in November 2015, Taran Killam said he could hear protestors outside during the table read. In retrospect, he told NPR, having the president host was pretty embarrassing. “It was rough. It was not enjoyable at the time, and something that only grows more embarrassing and shameful as time goes on,” the former SNL cast member said. Killam has spoken before about how Trump “struggled at the table read,” but now his criticism of Trump (who Killam said boasted about buying property in Scotland at the host dinner) and the show is sharper: “It certainly feels like there’s some hypocrisy [on SNL]. I guess you could say, ‘Oh, they’re righting wrongs.’ And I don’t even think it’s righting wrongs,” Killam said. “I think the show tries to — and in particular, Lorne’s outlook is — play to both sides. Play to the masses, play to whatever the popular opinion is. But, boy, they could definitely mine some comedy out of owning up to it, huh?” Pitch for next week: A sketch in which Lorne is in hell and as a punishment for having Trump on he has to wrangle Alec Baldwin for the rest of eternity.

Taran Killam: Trump Hosting SNL Was ‘Shameful’