David Letterman has taken part in NatGeo’s Years of Living Dangerously, a docu-series about climate change and what we can do about climate change issues. Letterman traveled to India to learn what they’re doing about power and climate change, and Letterman has also done a Funny or Die skit about climate change with Sen. Al Franken. All of that is why Letterman ended up chatting with the Associated Press this week. You can read the full interview here. Letterman continues to be one of the few voices of sanity in the Soviet Republic of Trumplandia, and by that I mean… Letterman has been disgusted from the start, and he was never one of those “give Trump a chance” people. Here’s part of the interview:
AP: Speaking of the current administration, late-night seems to have become mostly Trump jokes and tirades. Do you miss not being part of that?
Letterman: Here’s what I keep saying: We know there’s something wrong, but what I’m tired of is people, daily, nightly, on all the cable news shows telling us there’s something wrong. I just think we ought to direct our resources and our energies to doing something about it. And other people have made this point: If the guy was running Dairy Queen, he’d be gone. This guy couldn’t work at The Gap. So why do we have to be victimized by his fecklessness, his ignorance? But it’s just the behavior is insulting to Americans, whether you voted for him or not – and I feel bad for people who did vote for him because he promised them things that they really needed and one wonders if he’s really going to come through. I know there’s trouble in this country and we need a guy who can fix that trouble. I wish it was Trump, but it’s not, so let’s just stop whining about what a goon he is and figure out a way to take him aside and put him in a home.
AP: Sen. Franken had been critical of Kathy Griffin for how she spoke out. Do you think she took it too far?
Letterman: As you and I know, you can make jokes about anything. But you have to be prepared to answer the criticism so that’s just what that was. She made a joke. Others have made jokes that were better or worse. And she just had to answer for it. … I felt bad for her. I would not have made the joke. I think and say things to my friends that are worse. But he’s so sensitive. He doesn’t understand why people aren’t nicer to him in the press and you just say, well, ‘Donnie, look at the tone of the campaign that you ran.’
“I feel bad for people who did vote for him because he promised them things that they really needed…” Yeah, no, I don’t feel bad for them. Anyone who voted for Donald Trump doesn’t deserve one ounce of sympathy. I’ve had this argument before with various people: ignorance is not a defense, so don’t say “I never realized that Trump would actually do the things he said he would do” or “I never realized he would be such an unhinged nutjob.” You knew. And you voted for him for anyway. And let’s be clear: the overwhelming majority of people who voted for Trump STILL SUPPORT HIM. They still look at him, six months into this administration, and think that he’s making America great again through white supremacy, hate, ignorance, bad management and double scoops of ice cream. I’m not trying to unload on David Letterman, who seems like he’s as worried as everybody else. He’s right about one thing too – we need to stop talking about Trump being a nutjob and actually do something to impeach, or invoke the 25th amendment.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Nope! I only feel bad for the rest of us who have to deal with the consequences of their dumba** decision to vote for 45.
“figure out a way to take him aside and put him in a home”
Oh my god it was hard to even type that because I’m laughing so hard. I miss Letterman.
I had to read that sentence to my children, (they asked what I was laughing about)
“this guy couldn’t work at the gap.”
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
Dave has his flaws, God knows, but politically he seems to know what’s what. And I still think he’s funny as hell. But please, the beard, arrrrgh!
If you voted for Trump and you regret it, then I am just really angry with you. If you voted for Trump and don’t regret it, then I won’t even engage with you because you are a Fox News zombie and I hate zombies.
“figure out a way to take him aside and put him in a home”
Oh my god it was hard to even type that because I’m laughing so hard. I miss Letterman. While I don’t have any sympathy at all for trump voters, I do agree that the focus needs to be 100% razor-sharp on getting. him. out. And I have hope that if that happens, Ryan and Pence will have their hands dirty and be out too.
And I personally know people who still defend him. Yet at the same time they complain about the media looking into Russia stuff.
One even complained because she had to make a work-related call to the EPA and got a non-working number.
She then proceeded to cackle about the way the country is.
Without pause, I said “well since Trump has cut nearly their entire budget…”
She said nothing more.
These people still support him while having NO information about the world.
Your comment about your co-worker makes an interesting point. She reached a non-working number at the EPA. She exhibits frustration over the very changes she voted for. THIS is what blows my mind. Many of his supporters refuse to understand the change they voted for affects them. I’m weary of hearing comments such as ‘he’s your president and you need to accept that’ and that same person is upset because his decisions affect them as well. The disconnect is astounding. His administration is making systemic changes to our institutions that have far reaching consequences that are causing in some instances irreversible damage. A change in administration will be unable to reinstate or revert that damage. The next administration will be dealing with rubble.
America will be Syria without the literal bombing. Will a Phoenix rise from the flames? Or will we be left with shards of bone and ash?
Our anger and frustration mean bupkis without purpose.
This is true. Trump supporters believe that what is happening in this country (no EPA services, the gutting of NASA, the Education, Energy, Interior and Agriculture depts, the dismantling of net neutrality, the flight of manufacturing jobs to Mexico and China, etc.) is happening INDEPENDENTLY of Trump and the GOP Congress. The bad things are happening on their own! And if the GOP succeeds in dismantling healthcare insurance and abolishing Medicaid to give big tax cuts to their billionaire overlords (who won’t have to pay for it anymore), Trumpists will be indoctrinated enough to blame the loss on “fake news,” the “liberal elites,” Obama, and Hillary Clinton. The stupidity, blindness and gullibility are unbelievable.
Why? They knew who he was…..a crazy intellectually disabled xenophobic 70 yr old man child. But I guess at least those who regret it I can have a modicum of sympathy. My crazy relatives who continue to worship him, or at the very least accept him, I will never forgive.
It’s OK to say that Mexicans are all drug dealers and rapists.
It’s OK to brag about assaulting and harrassing women.
It’s OK to call for the execution of five innocent black and brown men, years after they have been exonerated.
It’s OK to be endorsed by the Grand Wizzard of the KKK.
It’s OK to call Muslims terrorists.
If you voted for Donald Trump, you were ok with this, so f*ck you.
Exactly. There’s nothing to sympathize with there.
THIS. I don’t feel sorry for them. I hope they get everything trump promised them. A whole lot of nothing
well said Kaiser and Letterman. Agree 100%
I would feel sort of bad for people that voted for Trump, but they actually don’t feel bad themselves. Supporters of his, especially here in the South have been vicious towards “LIBERALS” when he was running and worse once he got in. Since it is so easy to now back them into a corner with everything horrible going on, Most of them are at the point that they are willing to admit that they voted for him out of pure sexism and racism. There is still something so deep and nasty within most of them and the more you try to move on and ignore it the more in your faces they get and more than a few of them are dangerous.
Agree with all. Just want to add that voters in traditionally blue states who put Trump over the top have been found in recent studies to have responded to “cultural anxiety” That group most agreed with the statement, “I no longer feel at home in my own country.” Oh, Whatever and whoever could they mean?!!? So, TV pundits, spare me the “salt of the earth people” and “economic insecurity” arguments.
“I no longer feel at home in my own country.”
This a constant refrain. They are not just playing a race card they are playing THE race card. If you are not feeling at home how do you think POC have ALWAYS felt? I can trace my family back to slavery. That’s five generations. My nieces are the sixth. I’m not making you uncomfortable. That’s your choice. I have empathy because i understand what you experience but I do not have sympathy. Not only have I have been seen as I have and continue to be treated as other. Racism can only change when white people choose not to be racist.
THISSSSSSS. Thank you. PREACH.
If you clutched at your pearls and tsk-tsk’d at his pussygrabbing or slamming military parents or dishing on his daughter as a piece of ass on Howard Stern, or any of the other disgraceful crap he’s pulled, but voted for him anyway, you’re honestly the WORST. You RECOGNIZE his actions as wrong, and just don’t care. Oh sure, I wish he hadn’t done that, but if he’s going to cut my taxes and keep Mexicans away from me, I guess I can live with it. Oh sure, I have my concerns, but I can’t be bothered to turn off Fox News long enough to do some actual reading and thinking for myself. The TV man said Hillary kills babies and the orange man said he’ll make everything magically delicious again, so I guess that’s enough decisionin’ for me this year.
I do not feel bad for these people. I feel bad for those who MADE a responsible choice, or weren’t even empowered to do so, who must now live with the result of their fellow Americans’ selfishness, laziness, and ignorance.
Part of me wishes I were a better person, who could feel bad for the Trump voters, but I’m too busy feeling bad for the rest of us, who didn’t prioritize bigotry over the good of our country, but still have to live with the consequences of their votes.
Yeah, I don’t feel bad for people who should have seen this trainwreck coming like the rest of us.
It’s true that we seem to be waiting for democracy to right itself instead of righting it ourselves. We should be pressing our Congressional reps to get on this. But then again it’s early days although it feels like years and we need to allow Mueller to build a strong case (you know he’s guilty as hell).
If his mental state shows more signs of deterioration, then we need to take action as a nation asap.
I have a very dear friend ( professional drag queen ) His carreer has been quite lucrative and he moves in an elevated circle. He’s a rabid Trump supporter. He is scheduled to be on a CNN 2 part series regarding Trump voters that have suffered economically as a result of their support of “The Donald “.
I have never had the stomach to have the conversation w/him because he’s such a dear friend and it hurts me but I will be tuning in to finally try to understand his rationale. After the series I’ll then decide if I feel bad for him….
I feel Letterman’s pity is the feeling you have when you are exhausted with your anger. Yeah, at rare moments I kinda feel sorry for the ignorant frightened people who voted for him baby fists, but will always have a sustained revulsion for all the opporunistic racists and trolls represented by Bannon and his ilk.
I have tried to be positive during this horrible debacle since the primaries last year, but I’m fading. I think baby fists and his boyfriend the alien hairless Putin will do irreparable harm. I don’t think decent people can fathom how evil these people are.
I don’t feel bad for the people who voted for him at all. I feel bad for the rest of us who voted against him.
The people who voted for him ignored every terrible thing he has done because they were motivated by racism. They ignored his history of not paying people for their work, his history of failed businesses, his history of sexism, his history of lies, and so on. Now they have the nerve to go on tv and complain that he and the rest of the GOP are going to cut Medicaid. If you voted for him, you brought it on yourself if programs you depend on get cut.
I’ve no sympathy for them and many of them don’t seem to care about anyone’s needs but their owns. They feed on their own fears and anxieties while claiming a contradicting mentally regressive superiority.
I absolutely love Dave ~ and miss him as well : (
I don’t. I understand that some of them were persuaded by propaganda but that doesn’t recruit my sympathy, only my disdain … people persuaded by propaganda often want in some way to believe what they are being told. They wanted a reason to vote for him.
I have no sympathy whatsoever. I was mortified to find out that a friend of mine from Iran who is a Zaraostrian voted for Trump because she was convinced that Hillary was a murderer. I told her “I hope you’re happy now” and well, she isn’t.
I’ve been experiencing a low level of depression and anxiety since this election. My personal life is very content and happy. But every time I read the news and see the world falling apart around me I wonder if it will all be there by the time my kids have kids. And their kids have kids. Just why the F are we destroying our planet and each other? How did we get to a point of electing such an evil clown to run this country even further into the ground? It’s beyond my scope of understanding.
I remember when Democrats were trying to recruit him to run for Senate in Indiana. Evan Bayh got the nomination and lost. I try not to think too much about the alternate universe where Dave is in the Senate, hammering nominees in hearings, calling them boneheads. Oh, what could have been.
I don’t feel bad for a single person who voted for 45 and I hope they feel every ounce of the grief he will visit upon them, because a lot of innocent people are about to be dragged down because of the selfishness and hatred of those voters. Ditto for the “Anyone but Hilary” and “Don’t blame me, I voted for Harambe” idiots.
You chose this. Time to fall on the sword of your own stupidity.
Anyone who voted for him and is now surprised that Trump is an incompetent goon … is an idiot. If you don’t pay attention, don’t vote. And frankly, if I hear one more person argue “I don’t like XYZ candidate but I’ll vote for him because I’m sure he’ll surround himself with good people” during a campaign I will consider personally slashing their tires on Election Day so they can’t get to the polls. (Grrr… sorry, I’m just so frustrated that Trump’s humiliating incompetence keeps steamrolling along and we the enlightened people can’t do anything to stop it.)
Love all of Dave’s comments! It was funny. I interpreted his “I feel sorry for” tone as sarcasm or fake sympathy.
I love Dave’s comments, but let’s not forget all the people who didn’t vote or voted for anyone but HRC. Those people used a “herd immunity” logic and look what it got us. They thought HRC would win with or without them. I hope those people feel like crap now.