Lorne Michaels Initially Wanted SNL To Go Easy On Donald Trump

Vulture reports that during an interview with the “I Was There Too” podcast, former Saturday Night Live cast member Taran Killam revealed that Lorne Michaels wanted the show to go easy on Donald Trump before he was elected President. Here are highlights:

On things changing after Seth Meyers left as head writer: “When Seth Meyers left the show, the dynamic changed quite a bit. He was the last person there who I witnessed really collaborate with Lorne, as opposed to just kind of do what Lorne says. And I also think the 40th [anniversary show] really sort of affected Lorne in that I think it was exciting and I think it was flattering and I think he was really able to sort of relish in this incredible institution that he’s responsible for and all these amazing iconic careers and all of his famous friends, and it had to have been the most potent overwhelming boost of a ‘this is your life’ experience ever. And then it all went away, and then it was back to this cast who’s all 40 years younger than you and aren’t as famous as Tina Fey or whatever, and my experience was he became very impatient. [It was] less of a happy place to be [and more of a] competitive, exhausting environment.”

On the cast being forced to go easy on Trump: “Lorne was being so specific about what we could and couldn’t say about him, and he was dictating a lot of the settings. At that point — the first CNN interview he was doing — and that was sort of looking like what we thought we were going to do, and Lorne’s like, ‘It’ll be too old news by then, and you know, you don’t want to vilify him. You know, he’s like any New York taxi driver. I know him, I’ve seen him around at parties for years and years, and he just says whatever it is he’s thinking, and that’s his thing. But you know, you have to find a way in that makes him likable.’”