Conan O’Brien is sharing his thoughts on why he decided to attend the Kennedy Center’s March 23 event to accept the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor after President Donald Trump was elected to its board.
Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there’s been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center, There was a question of, ‘Should I go? Should I not go?’ And I felt like it was important to show up.
O’Brien said on the latest episode of his ‘Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend’ podcast.
O’Brien explained that he was honored by the “old regime” and felt that “we should honor their decision.” The event was the first national gathering at the Kennedy Center since chairman David Rubenstein and president Deborah Rutter were replaced by President Donald Trump in February.
Advertisement On the podcast, O’Brien also mentioned that young people who had worked at the Kennedy Center for several years were “delighted” he still attended.
They don’t know what their future is. I got to talk to a lot of them. I had a great deal of empathy for what’s happening there.
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The award ceremony included some occasional jokes and digs at the Trump administration, including from fellow Mark Twain Prize winner Will Ferrell, who joked, “I’m supposed to be shutting down the Department of Education.”
O’Brien most recently hosted the 97th Academy Awards and is set to return next year following the positive reception. The Kennedy Center ceremony, where David Letterman presented O’Brien with the award, will air on Netflix on May 4.
Check out the official podcast episode below: