November 10, 2017

"I have nothing to do. I wish I had more to do."

Trump on Letterman in 1986:



(I zeroed in on the Trump part. Back up to the beginning for more context, but it's just Letterman picking a random couple to go with on a sightseeing tour of NYC.)

(Keep going after the selected part. Trump is also a regular sit-down guest on the show.)

28 comments:

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

That is before Letterman realized Trump is Satan.

mccullough said...

Funny that I had heard of Trump years before I heard of W and Obama. Trump has been around a long ass time.

traditionalguy said...

Scott Adams has a long article out today on his early spotting DaTrump as a master persuader. He says he includes Peggy Noonan and Madonna in that class, too. But Trump has the entire package because he spent his life in a business using it taking chances.

Michael K said...

Trump looked short in that clip.

Has he grown ?

mccullough said...

Letterman is pretty tall, too. 6'2"

n.n said...

Trump went along to get along, but the moment he stood his ground... they went on a baby hunt for what is now the fourth trimester of his term, then failing to establish that he is not viable, hope to dismember and/or decapitate his... uh, administration.

buwaya said...

True, a lot of the Trumpian abilities may simply be a lifetime of experience.

Boxty said...

At 3:54 there's a prominently displayed picture of what looks like a gold tree on a black background with writing in Hebrew. Pretty weird for someone continually accused of anti-semitism.

traditionalguy said...

Buwaya spotted it. His lifetime of experience adds up. Throw in that he was a trained wrestler ( the 100% real variety) who was always out on those mats one on one, where there were never any excuses.

Darrell said...

Trump looked short in that clip.

He was a bit taller than Letterman when they shook hands. He only looked shorter later because Letterman had his seat raised a foot--like Mr. Potter in It's A Wonderful Life.

tcrosse said...

Throw in that he was a trained wrestler

OTOH so was Al Franken

Earnest Prole said...

At 11:15 of the clip, Letterman tells Trump "You act like you're running for something."

Stephen said...

I had forgotten how sharp, quick, and funny the young Letterman was. Before he became angry and overtly political, he was much more appealing. DT was also good at deflecting interview questions about wealth and political ambitions while getting his point across about incompetent politicians.

Drago said...

exiledonmainstreet: "That is before Letterman realized Trump is Satan"

Ben Nighthorse Campbell got the same treatment. He mentioned that as soon as he became a republican all of sudden every thought he had ever had suddenly became the "wrong" one, even if it was "right" 15 minutes before switching.

Fen's Law on steroids.

Unknown said...

Back in the 1980's, there was the comic strip "Bloom County." Hysterical, it was one of the few that skewered everyone--left, right, whatever.

Donald Trump showed up there frequently. Who knew that eventually Trump would become president?

Amazing.

I'd still vote the Bill and Opus Meadow Party ticket though.
--Vance

Ann Althouse said...

Isn't it weird how back in the 80s, people were always asking Trump if he would seek the presidency? Did they really look at him as presidential material or were they in cahoots with him and floating the idea because that's what he wanted?

We sure had a lot of time to let the notion of Donald Trump as President sink in, and yet even when he was winning on election night, many of us could not believe such a thing made any sense at all. That too is weird.

And I still find it hard to believe!

Luke Lea said...

A killer smile.

James K said...

a gold tree on a black background with writing in Hebrew. Pretty weird for someone continually accused of anti-semitism.

It says "Etz Chaim," or "Tree of Life." Most likely an award he received from a Jewish organization for his philanthropy or help of some sort. Of course the notion that he's anti-semitic is as ridiculous as the idea that he's some kind of white supremacist.

Ann Althouse said...

It's striking what strong laughs Trump is getting. Letterman is trying to be the funny one, and it's Letterman's audience. But Trump gets a bigger laugh over and over.

Earnest Prole said...

It's striking what strong laughs Trump is getting. Letterman is trying to be the funny one, and it's Letterman's audience. But Trump gets a bigger laugh over and over.

It's more complex than that. In his prime Letterman was a master of playing the straight man for smaller laughs (much like Dick Smothers), setting his guest up for bigger laughs. In his later days he lost that skill and became a scold.

reader said...

I hope he gets the last laugh.

Earnest Prole said...

a lot of the Trumpian abilities may simply be a lifetime of experience

"Experience" can't explain Trump's freakish persuasive gifts (nor his freakish narcissism). The word for once-in-a-lifetime talent is genius, and it's properly understood as a gift from God unattainable through mere hard work.

traditionalguy said...

Trump has a subtle wit that goes with his hand gestures and facial expressions. People who have known him see that wit in his Tweets that are called crude and vulgar, but really they are funny taunts at his dumber enemies.

traditionalguy said...

Be happy. The God who madeTrump has a great sense of humor. And I bet He breaks out laughing at Trump all the time...like he enjoyed making David King of Israel and laughing at the world.

virgil xenophon said...

Don Imus used to tell of Trumps quick wit and superior sense of humor on his show "imus in the morning" when it was simulcast by MSNBC. Insights gained when Imus and Trump would have lunch together and they would slice up all the buffoonery of NYC pols..

gilbar said...

that guy should run for president! I'd vote for him.

wildswan said...

I looked the other sidebar videos and I see that Trump has been saying the same things about what American policy should be for a long time. It's surprising that the mainstream media reporters question his sincerity - cough, hack, cough.

Leigh said...

@annalthouse, thanks for the tip to play it through. I don't know whether the clip I'm linking below came from your original link or if it popped up next in line on YouTube. In any event, it's my favorite so far: a 2013 Trump appearance on Letterman. And sorry, anti-Trumpers, but there's no beating genuineness and authenticity. Like it or not, the guy is just plain likeable. Stay with me, though. For your viewing pleasure, there's even a discussion between Trump and Letterman about ... THE RUSSIANS!

And to please Ann, there's a clip, w/in this clip, of Trump's wafting hair.

Lots of fun.

https://youtu.be/PR_SoJpWzOA