Zach Galifianakis, known for his role in "The Hangover," is calling out fellow comedians who have hosted President Donald Trump on their podcasts without pushing back against his claims. The actor made his case on Monday's episode of "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend," where host Conan O'Brien noted that no one has interviewed a sitting president the way Galifianakis did when he spoke with then-President Barack Obama in 2014 on his satirical talk show "Between Two Ferns."
Galifianakis on the Role of Comedians
"Well, all the podcasters that have had the president on now, they don't do their court jester," Galifianakis said. "They don't do it. They just suck up to him. So, the 'comedians' that are podcasters that have had Trump on, they're not doing their job." He continued: "That's not the job of a comedian. You are to challenge, you are to make uncomfortable — you're not to sit there and fake laugh. That is not the job of the court jester, period. So, there is a difference."
Galifianakis rose to fame with "The Hangover" in 2010 but had already established himself as a stand-up comedian and host of "Between Two Ferns," named after the plants on his set. "And whatever their motive is, fine," he told O'Brien. "But the comedy has to come first."
References to Manosphere Podcasters
Although Galifianakis did not name specific individuals, he was clearly referring to podcasters in the so-called manosphere who interviewed Trump ahead of the 2024 election, including Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, and Theo Von. He recalled his own experience interviewing Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 election, noting that her team initially demanded he not bring up her email scandal. "I remember when I interviewed Hillary Clinton — and I could tell she didn't want to be there, and I totally get that — but before we had set that whole thing up, they wrote back, 'Well, you can't bring up those emails,'" Galifianakis said. "And I go, 'Well, we don't have to do the interview. I totally — that's fine, we won't do it.' When you tell powerful people no, it's crazy. They were like, 'OK, we'll do it, you can ask.' Because it's not that important to me to do it the way they want to do it."
Galifianakis indeed asked Clinton about the scandal, asking her during the interview, "What's the best way to reach you? Email?"
Trump Interview Would Be Impossible
O'Brien argued that the "current president" could benefit from being "the butt of the joke," suggesting Trump is too sensitive and ego-driven to humble himself like Clinton or Obama did. Galifianakis countered, "That's impossible." He added, "You wouldn't do it with him. It wouldn't work."
Rogan recently joined Trump in the Oval Office as he signed an executive order for the FDA to expedite reviews of certain psychedelics, but has criticized the president over various issues in recent months, including his Iran war and Canada obsession. Von and Schulz have also voiced criticisms recently.
