Conan O’Brien
was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
At the Kennedy Center, he made his award show the first significant event at the venue since President
Donald Trump
became the board chair.
The comic, fresh off hosting the Oscars, received the Mark Twain Prize at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 23 surrounded by multiple tributes from other comics, with many of them taking playful shots at the commander-in-chief during their speeches.
Several speakers approached the topic of Mark Twain’s influence on American culture with sincerity, particularly highlighting how he employed humor as a tool for critiquing society. David Letterman articulated this sentiment by stating: “Although [Twain] had great affection for America, he recognized its profound imperfections.”
Why It Matters
O’Brien and his group lampooned the president at the Kennedy Center following Trump’s disruption of the longstanding bipartisan custom in January.
by dismissing those appointed during the Biden administration from the board of trustees
making
himself the chair
.
This decision had political undertones, as Trump stated on Truth Social that he intended to utilize the arts center’s programs to achieve his vision for America’s “GOLDEN ERA of American Arts and Culture.” This era would notably exclude “ANY MORE DRAG SHOWS OR SIMILAR ANTIPLE-American propaganda.”
The Top 5 Epic Trump Jibes from Conan O’Brien’s Kennedy Center Event
The evening buzzed with laughter as everyone roasted O’Brien, yet several comics took moments to jest about the president too.
John Mulaney
In relation to Trump’s fondness for Andrew Lloyd Webber and his off-the-cuff remark regarding
introducing “unwokened” musicals at the Kennedy Center, such as
Cats
, Mulaney said,
Welcome to the Kennedy Center, which will soon be called the Roy Cohn Pavilion for Bold Men With a Passion for Felines starting next week.
Will Ferrell
The
Anchorman
Star mentioned he was “meant to be closing down the Department of Education” rather than going to the Kennedy Center event.
Conan O’Brien
The Mark Twain Award honoree made a witty remark about the former chairman and president of the Kennedy Center, positions that were taken over by Donald Trump and Richard Grenell.
I want to extend my gratitude to those who extended an invitation back in several months past: David Rubinstein and Deborah Rutter. It puzzles me as to why they couldn’t make it tonight. Since losing my Wi-Fi connection in January, I’ve been speculating whether their absence might be due to being stuck in traffic.
Stephen Colbert
The Late
Show
The host jokingly mentioned that Trump had replaced some board members with individuals from his administration and other well-known political personalities, claiming he was introducing two new additions to the board.
”
Bashar al-Assad
and Skeletor.”
Martin Short
The
Only Murders in the Building
Star sent a video clip of himself to the show, where he playfully mocked the Health and Human Services secretary, stating: “No one would be more deserving than this year’s final honoree to receive the last-ever Twain Prize right here at the Robert F. Kennedy Center.”
Runner-up: Stephen Colbert, Again
Several sketches throughout the evening honored Conan’s repertoire or rounded out the event. A new one featured Colbert performing a brief segment.
of
Hot
Ones
—The talk show featuring guests consuming progressively hotter chicken wings, hosted by Sean Evans.
In that part of the show, Colbert gestured towards the chicken and remarked: “To begin with, considering the recent changes in leadership at the Kennedy Center, all of these can be referred to as right-wing perspectives. Moreover, some of them are utterly outlandish.”
Honorable Mention: Sarah Silverman
According to
CBS
Silverman shared multiple Trump jokes that were deemed “too crude for printing.”
What Else To Know
At the start of his second term, Trump named himself as the chairman of the Kennedy Center board of trustees and dismissed several board members. He then replaced them with individuals who were either part of or closely allied with his administration, such as the Attorney General.
Pam Bondi
and
Fox News
host
Laura Ingraham
.
The response was immediate and critical from events and people who intended to hold their shows at the Kennedy Center.
Hamilton
Producer Jeffrey Sellers removed the show’s performances from the venue, stating, “With great concern for our values, we can’t actively take part in or support this new environment that is being enforced at the Kennedy Center.”
Issa Rae and Shonda Rhimes have similarly decided to withdraw their shows from the Kennedy Center because of the Trump administration’s involvement with the arts institution.
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Martin Short’s forecast that this will mark the “final Twain Prize” holds true. In the meantime,
Conan O’Brien
will once again play host to the Academy Awards in 2026.
Related Articles
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