Comedian Pete Davidson became a breakout hit on Saturday Night Live around 2015, the same time the political star of businessman and TV star Donald Trump began its unlikely rise. Davidson was part of the cast when Trump hosted the show (for the second time) in 2015 and he remained a cast member throughout Trump’s presidency.
Davidson later became even bigger than his comedy, crossing over into the wider cultural conversation when he began dating Kim Kardashian, who had recently separated from the controversial rapper, designer, business mogul and maker of antisemitic remarks Kanye West — a one-time high-profile Trump supporter.
Back in 2015, Davidson told his Trump SNL tales on a podcast — or at least he told those stories he said he was “allowed to tell.”
Davidson mocked Trump’s boastfulness about the high ratings the show would get (it did) and for his inability or unwillingness to follow the script. “He doesn’t really know how to read,” Davidson said.
Davidson — as is often said of Trump, too — is not being literal, but is instead talking about a certain kind of reading. One astute observer points out the difference, writing: “He’s talking about reading comedy and timing.”
He’s talking about reading comedy and timing. Nice try though.
— The Average American (@TAAtoday) August 3, 2024
But that hasn’t stopped other people from taking Davidson literally, just as people continue to take Trump literally.
The Davidson clip is being circulated again, as Democrats who have found success characterizing the Trump-Vance ticket as “weird” are trying to make Trump also appear less capable in other ways.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) shared the resurfaced Davidson clip this weekend, captioning his post: “So why does Trump want to get rid of the Dept. of Education? Doesn’t he want our kids to be smarter than he is?”
[Trump has said he wants to dismantle the Education Department — and the controversial Project 2025, from which Trump has recently tried to distance himself, contains plans to disembowel the Education Department in a second Trump term.]
So why does Trump want to get rid of the Dept. of Education? Doesn’t he want our kids to be smarter than he is? https://t.co/8MpuDpcgvC
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) August 4, 2024
Swalwell clearly hopes to get under Trump’s skin. Trump recently told a rally crowd that he hates when people laugh at him — see below:
Trump: And, they laughed at me. I hate when people laugh at me. I hate it. I hate it. pic.twitter.com/TS1KN0cQvE
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 20, 2024
Besides his claim that Trump’s not a comedy pro, Davidson’s video claims — more menacingly perhaps — that laughing at Trump was common during his guest hosting stint.
“He doesn’t get it,” Davidson said. “He thinks everybody’s laughing with him, but we’re all laughing at him.”
Swalwell may have pulled a different quote to emphasize, but he knew the clip also contained this “laughing at him” tidbit, sure to infuriate, as Trump himself has said.
Trump’s defenders are pointing out the specious “he said, she said” quality of Davidson’s take, while noting that Davidson, who has admitted drug problems and rehab stints, is hardly a reliable narrator.
Pete dropped out of college after his first semester. Trump graduated from Wharton.
— Maruka (@MarukaMags) August 4, 2024