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He credits that, in part, to his empathy for the man.
At the same time, Atamanuik was one of the first comedians to call out Trumps white-supremacist leanings.
Trumps campaign hit all the same beats.
How can one be empathetic of a such a person?
Empathy is not an endorsement.
It is an understanding of a person, he told me over the phone.
I think thats the thing that makes us angry the lack of control we feel.
I had pitched it to Comedy Central before I ever had the show with them.
I was doing@midnightat the time.
I thought it would be an interesting mini-series before the election.
But there wasnt enough time for the sort of epic-ness that I wanted.
We had predicted so many things.
From Im the president, can you believe it?
to toilet paper on his shoe to separating kids from families.
Ad infinitum, I could name them.
This era that were in will eventually transmute into something else, and I wanted to show that.
And hatred of women, lets not forget that.
I have a hard time forgetting that.No, of course.
Is it a Chelsea thing, being able to see that ugliness?Ha!
I grew up there from age 6 on.
Prior to that, I was in this pastoral, sort of rural town of Topsfield, Massachusetts.
I really got to see the heights of white privilege, then see where the worldreallyis.
Massachusetts is so racist they really break it down by white people, too.
If youre a Jewish kid from Chelsea, youre trash 20 miles north.
And I think that informed a lot for me.
His root desire, which he never really connected with, is always feeling on the outside.
Even as a builder, he was on the outside of the Wasp-y builders of Manhattan.
As a candidate, he was on the outside of all the people running for office.
I dont say that in a reinforcing way, I just say that as an observation.
Maybe in that sense, I was able to connect with him in a way.
Youvesaid beforethat your Trump impression is more examination than exaggeration, and theres some empathy in there.
Im not really thinking anything.
He might be the worst person in the world to a lot of people, but hes a person.
And if you want to understand how he works and what he does, empathetically you must get there.
Your version of Trump enjoys being a pot-stirrer.
A lot of comedians like to think of themselves as agents provocateurs.
Hell set the ball rolling and watch it play out.
Thats such a classic abusers behavior.
I like to attempt to play [him as] the pot-stirrer, and I dont think hes dumb.
Im able to sit in his voice more and his behaviors more.
I think Ive integrated the way I interpret him as a character into the way I portray him.
The road has diverged a little bit.
My portrayal of Trump can be frighteningly accurate, if I want to be.
But I like the way that hes sort of jumped into a little bit of a Homer Simpson.
I like that my version of him has evolved into sometimes strangely observant, other times completely ignorant.
I think that happens after you play a character for a long time.
He is a painting that now I have made.
I was literally at this@PresidentShowclip last night.
They were filming me, but I was just sitting there as myself.
When the honk happened, I was doing that for the crew.
I never thought that would be on air.
And I like when it feels like a private joke between us.
And I hadnt known that it could.
This special is very much an ensemble piece.
Everybody is bringing a lot.
Stephanie March was new to the show but is such a professional and so talented.
She immediately got in with us.
Ive known Pete [Grosz] for years.
Austin Pendleton is just a great actor.
You know hes going to do his thing, and he did it incredibly.
I like to think that we bring some great New York theater vibes to this show.
As a troupe, you all convey with each other what the tonality is.
And of course Im present throughout everything.
Ryan McFaul is an amazing director.
So you just have the best of the best making it.
There are two ways to work.
Well, there are many ways to work.
I would prefer to work in the second way.
We share the vision, weve all worked together for a while.
And I want them to show me their wares, and that becomes part of the work.
Thats a great way to work you make better work that way.
Have you been paying attention to the global rise of these authoritarian populist characters?
The election is in a couple of weeks or a month away?
Itspretty imminent.And theres Duterte, Putin.
You have Xi in China, you got all the old standards.
Also, in Europe I know theres been a lot of challenge in Germany from the far right there.
And Italy has recently gone into the land of the junta.
Theyre not just popping up, theyve been there for a long time.
And the United States has been working with them for a long time.
Because, yes, of course he has business partnerships with the Saudis and of course hes corrupt.
But did we forget that George Bush held the hand of the Saudi leader months after 9/11?
And 9/11 was a Saudi operation against the United States?
Give me a break!
And I dont think that, conspiratorially, thats by design.
But I think everybody loves that its happening.
Its all sane again.
And you know what?
Lets elect Scott Walker president, because at least hes a thinking Republican.
Thats what Im afraid of.
Mike Pence is a dark soul.
That is a dark human being right there.
Why do you think that Pence gets so much of a pass in a lot of humor?
We do a lot of hes mayonnaise on bread.
But part of it is that were portraying him in the show as the sycophant orbiting Trump.
Twenty-three seat majority, twenty-four seat majority in the House.
They should be arrested and silenced.
Im joking, but I just think that if you dont vote, then youre trash right now.
So Im well aware of all those things that could lead us to an outcome that wedontdeserve.
But overwhelming force would check that that it wasnt a possibility.
Hacking can only occur on the margins of slim votes.
So I think that everyone has no excuse.
And we should make voting a national holiday.
But, quite frankly, go and lose your goddamn job and go vote!
Because youll get another one after.
Thats all I have to say.
