Jim Gaffigan explains why he avoids politics in his stand-up comedy

Comedian Jim Gaffigan explained in an interview why he mostly avoids policy in his stand-up material these days.

Gaffigan told Variety that comedy fans don't go to stand-up shows to listen to lectures – they escape the real world and just laugh at stupid jokes.

When the interviewer mentioned the recent intersection of comedy and politics, Gaffigan responded, “People come to the show to get a break from all the drama. That doesn't mean there aren't great comedians who talk about social commentary – the spirit of George Carlin is very important,” and recalled his political jokes at the expense of the president. Donald TrumpHis first election victory in 2016 was not what he imagined.

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“I remember when Trump was first elected and my opening act had some political jokes in it. In 2016 and 2017, the public seemed to be staring at the ceiling. The jokes were well constructed and they weren't on one side or the other, but it was too much,” he continued. “There are great comedians in this conversation, but people are already getting 24-hour news and everything is cut and dried. [proliferated] everywhere. Not only is the material not evergreen, but it is so topical that it lasts half a day. People are looking for a break from this.”

The comedian added that viewers are not ignoring serious problems – they just want to take their mind off things for a while. “At least I can go to Jim Gaffigan and hear him complain about being a parent,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that people don’t care if someone gets snatched on the streets; it just means maybe they want a break from it.”

Earlier in the interview, Gaffigan addressed the backlash he received after speaking at the Al Smith dinner — an annual formal fundraiser for Catholic Charities known for his comedic speeches — and did not go after Trump with everything he had.

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“My childhood best friend was furious that I hosted an Al Smith dinner. He said, “I can’t believe you didn’t destroy Trump.” And I was like, “I know this won’t change anything.” And the task was to attack both sides – in an environment where you are surrounded by billionaires,” he recalled.

The comedian also spoke about his impression of the governor. Tim WaltzMinnesota on Saturday Night Live (SNL) last year and why he thinks it's different from discussing politics in a typical stand-up routine.

“With Tim Waltz, I was in the SNL environment, and every sketch has a cultural interpretation. I know this intellectually: no one will listen to me,” he explained. “At the same time, I want to be able to look my children in the eyes and say that I didn’t let something terrible happen. I also feel comfortable because people know my views. But I don't know if it will help me to act as an advocate – as in the case of the Mamdani case, which ended up causing great controversy.”

He added that when he saw fellow comedian Stavros Halkias publicly supporting Zohran Mamdani, he thought to himself, “I don't know if this is helping him.” Maybe I'm naive.”

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This isn't the first time in recent memory that Gaffigan has shared his thoughts on the intersection of politics and comedy, and why he prefers to stay away from it.

Shortly after his SNL appearance impersonating Walz, Gaffigan opened up about his negative feelings surrounding his previous anti-Trump social media posts. interview from The Daily Beast in January. He said he regretted that Trump supporters took his criticism of the president in 2020 personally.

“I'm sorry that people think I criticized people who support Trump. And that was never the intention. I'm sorry – someone said that now I can't follow you anymore, and I kind of told them, “Fuck you!” – said the comedian.

Gaffigan attacked Trump in a series of tweets back in 2020, when X was still Twitter and Trump was running for re-election. In one of them he wrote: “Look Trumpers, I get it. I was a Cubs fan growing up and I know you stay loyal to your team no matter what, but he is a traitor and a cheater who doesn't care about you. Deep down you know it. I'm sure you enjoy pissing people off, but you know Trump is a liar and a criminal.”

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Four years later, Gaffigan told the publication he was sorry for how some people perceived the posts, but insisted he did not regret publishing them.

“But it's weird because I think authenticity is really important, not just for a comedian, but for your kids,” he said, adding: “I don't regret it, but I also recognize that there are real Diehard Trump fans who probably liked my comedy, but they feel me so passionately and will never forgive me.”

Fox News' Gabriel Hayes contributed to this report.