Jim Gaffigan, the superstar comic, recently reflected on his 2020 anti-Trump tweets. He regrets that Trump supporters felt personally attacked by his criticism.
In a chat with The Daily Beast, Gaffigan discussed his tweets and feelings about the backlash. He said, “I regret that people think I was criticizing people that support Trump. That was never the intention.”
Back in 2020, Gaffigan went on a Twitter rant against Trump, who was seeking re-election. One tweet compared Trump supporters to loyal sports fans, calling Trump a "traitor and a con man."
He also criticized Trump’s pandemic response, tweeting, “You know Trump just creates enemies. You know you can't trust him... Trump talks about the Space Program, and you can't safely go to a movie. Wake up."
Now, Gaffigan admits he doesn’t regret posting the tweets but feels conflicted about the reactions. He explained, “There are true die-hard Trump fans who probably enjoyed my comedy but will never forgive me.”
The comedian acknowledged that alienating audiences is part of the job. "You’re going to lose people. You’re also going to attract people," he noted.
When asked if he lost fans over the posts, Gaffigan said it wasn’t measurable but shared a funny comment from his son. “My 18-year-old son commented, ‘I liked him until he went on his Trump rant.’”
Gaffigan also addressed criticism for his jokes at the Al Smith Dinner, where he roasted both Trump and Kamala Harris. He was accused by liberals of "normalizing a fascist."
“I knew I’d get criticism from both sides,” he said. “But I also thought it was worth it.”