Is it OK to find Trump funny?

Most right-minded people agree that there’s nothing funny about Donald Trump’s grip on power.

The repeatedly bankrupt real estate mogul-turned-45th president of the United States is now vying for a second term in the White House. And, if polls – and the Iowa caucus – are anything to go by, he’s in with more than a fighting chance.

Yes, to see the MAGA commander-in-chief become the king of the world again would be no laughing matter. And yet, he constantly has people lolling. A lot.

Indeed, say what you want about his misogynist, racist and corrupt tendencies – not to mention his involvement in the January 6 insurrection – he’s undeniably made politics more colourful since he entered the fray.

And no, we’re not just referring to the orange hue of his complexion, but to his effortless skill at saying things so whacky and outrageous that he makes the likes of Larry David and Ricky Gervais look positively polite.

So what is the essence of Trump’s particular brand of comedy? And is it acceptable for those of us who are firmly against him to still find him… well… entertaining?

Indy100 spoke to seasoned side-splitter Michael Spicer to find out how the biggest sucker punch in world politics also manages to deliver some pretty potent punchlines.

Michael Spicer has turned a number of Trump's speeches into hilarious sketches for 'The Room Next Door'(Michael Spicer)

What makes Trump funny?

Well, it sure as hell isn’t his own sense of humour, which Spicer describes as “base” and in the vein of “early 2000s’ post-lad culture”.

Rather, most of us find ourselves laughing when Trump makes blatant mistakes or is particularly self-aggrandising and outlandish.

“There are also moments that I find absolutely hilarious that he clearly doesn't at all, where he thinks he's quite serious,” the award-winning comic writer noted.

Spicer, who’s best known for his ‘The Room Next Door’ sketches, pointed out that Trump regularly releases clips on his social media platform, Truth Social, in which he inadvertently parodies himself.

“He uploads these videos where he's standing in some sort of studio set – probably in his own house – which he's trying to palm off as like a room in the White House, with grand paintings and fancy ornaments in the background,” he explained.

“What's so funny about it is that it's got this air of authority to it, even though he's got none. And he's just talking – just constantly rambling from one point to the other – but treating it like an official speech.

“And the best part is that he must then look at the footage and decide to upload it, even though, more often than not, it makes not a shred of sense.”

Oh, and of course, he also shares the likes of this with the utmost solemnity...

Is there method to his madness?

Some would argue that Trump might deliberately say provocative, false and bewildering things to attract attention and hit headlines.

After all, the more his critics berate and ridicule him, the more his loyalists spring to his defence.

Given that such moments of derision may work in his favour, should we view him less as a comedian and more as a cunning strategist?

No.

At least, Spicer doesn’t think so.

“I think he's having a very public, very slow, mental breakdown, and that these things just pop into his head,” the actor and director explained.

“He says them because no one tells him, ‘Don't say those things, Mr President’.”

He continued: “The problem with egomaniacs and billionaires is that they surround themselves with people who agree with everything they say. So whatever marketing machine he’s got, it's always going to tow the Trump party line.”

“I'm pretty sure he’s got a new PR team to galvanise support ahead of the next election, and I imagine their number one priority is to make sure he doesn't talk too much – but that's all he'll ever do.

“He will never stop talking, and I think that’s the result of a general sort of spiral downwards rather than any kind of tactical nous on his behalf.”

Even Trump's appearance – marmalade skin and fluffy blond barnet – make him a comic figure(Getty Images)

So… is it OK to find Trump funny?

Spicer is no stranger to Trump’s comic clout, having transformed some of the ex-POTUS’s most baffling speeches into hilarious skits.

In ‘The Room Next Door’, he imagines how an advisor might attempt to rein in the outspoken leader’s mental meanderings – to no avail.

But, he stressed: “It can be problematic to view him as just a figure of fun because it's almost impossible to fathom how many lives he might have destroyed while he was in office.”

Still, it’s important to “poke fun” at such frighteningly influential characters, he argued, and that’s what satire does.

Being able to shine a spotlight on moments where people in positions of power say something blatantly wrong or, even, surreal, offers people “a moment of relief” from all the chaos and catastrophe.

Speaking of his own Trump takedowns, Spicer pointed out: “I’m not putting words in his mouth, I’m simply holding up a mirror to him – he makes that bed of ridicule for himself.”

The Room Next Door - President Trump and Windmillswww.youtube.com

And what will happen if Trump is re-elected president?

“I feel like it won't happen, it can't happen – the tide is shifting towards a slightly less chaotic world of politics,” Spicer said.

“But if I'm wrong, and he does come back, then I really don't know what to say for America. I think they're doomed, I think they're finished.

“And my career will get a second wind.”

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