Conan O’Brien received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, making his award show the first major event at the venue since President Donald Trump became the board chair.
The comedian, who recently hosted the Academy Awards, accepted his Mark Twain Prize at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 23 amid several speeches from fellow comedians, many of whom threw jibes at the president.
Some presenters were also earnest when discussing Mark Twain’s impact on culture and how he used his comedy to critique America, with David Letterman saying: “[Twain] loved America but knew it was deeply flawed.”
Why It Matters
O’Brien and friends roasted the president at the Kennedy Center after Trump upended bipartisan tradition in January by firing Biden-era appointees to the board of trustees and making himself the chair.
This move was political, as Trump expressed on Truth Social that he would use programming at the arts center to fulfill his vision for America’s “GOLDEN AGE of American Arts and Culture,” which includes “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”
The 5 Best Trump Burns From Conan O’Brien’s Kennedy Center Event
The night was filled with jokes roasting O’Brien, but some comedians also made time to poke fun at the president.
John Mulaney
Referencing Trump’s love for Andrew Lloyd Webber and his leaked comment about bringing “non-woke” musicals to the Kennedy Center, like Cats, Mulaney said, “Welcome to the Kennedy Center, or as it will be known next week, the Roy Cohn Pavilion for Big Strong Men Who Love Cats.”
Will Ferrell
The Anchorman star said he was “supposed to be shutting down the Department of Education” instead of attending the Kennedy Center event.
Conan O’Brien
The Mark Twain Award recipient quipped about the ousted chair and president of the Kennedy Center, who Donald Trump and Richard Grenell replaced:
“My thanks to the people who invited me here, several months ago: David Rubenstein and Deborah Rutter. I don’t know why they aren’t here tonight. I lost Wi-Fi in January. I’m guessing they’re in traffic.”
Stephen Colbert
The Late Show host also joked about Trump replacing board members with members of his administration and other high-profile political figures, saying he was announcing two new board members: “Bashar al-Assad and Skeletor.”
Martin Short
The Only Murders in the Building star sent a video of himself into the show, where he poked fun at the Health and Human Services secretary, saying: “There is no more fitting recipient getting the last-ever Twain Prize here at the Robert F. Kennedy Center.”
Runner-up: Stephen Colbert, Again
Throughout the night, several sketches paid tribute to Conan’s body of work or filled out the ceremony. One new sketch was Colbert doing a mini-episode of Hot Ones—the talk show where guests eat increasingly spicy chicken wings—with host Sean Evans.
During that segment, Colbert pointed to the chicken and said: “I just want to start by saying, in light of the new leadership at the Kennedy Center, all of these are right wings. And a couple of them are truly insane.”
Honorable Mention: Sarah Silverman
According to CBS, Silverman told several Trump jokes that were “too vulgar to print.”
What Else To Know
At the beginning of his second term, Trump appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center board of trustees and removed several board members to replace them with people wither in, or close, to his administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
The backlash was swift from productions and individuals planning to host shows at the Kennedy Center.
Hamilton producer Jeffrey Sellers pulled the show’s productions from the center, saying, “Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center.”
Issa Rae and Shonda Rhimes have also chosen to cancel shows at the Kennedy Center due to the Trump administration’s role in the arts center.
What Happens Next
Whether Martin Short’s prediction that this will be the “last ever Twain prize” remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien is set to host the Academy Awards again in 2026.
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