Nikki Glaser’s comments on political jokes sparked discussion after she shared her fears at the Mark Twain Prize gala. Her remarks come amid heightened political tensions and changes at the Kennedy Center following President Donald Trump’s leadership overhaul.
Here’s what Glaser said, why she’s holding back on political jokes, and how the comedy world responded at the event.
Nikki Glaser scared of death threats amid political jokes
Nikki Glaser said she fears telling political jokes due to concerns about death threats, being doxxed, or detained. At the 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, she stated, “Like, you just are scared that you’re gonna get doxxed and death threats or who knows where this leads, like, detained. Honestly that’s not even like a joke. It’s like a real fear.”
Glaser further explained that this fear influences her comedic choices, particularly regarding jokes about Donald Trump. “So it’s unfortunate that that’s true, but I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t think about that sometimes and go, ‘Oh, god. Can I just say, I hope they all know, I can be up on the gallows and say I was just joking. I’m a comedian.’ I hope that that’s a defense,” she said (via Deadline).
She told The Hill she previously avoided political topics to avoid alienating audiences but now avoids them due to fear. “I went from being like ‘I don’t want to talk about politics because I don’t want to alienate anyone’ to like, ‘I want to talk about it but now I’m scared to.’ And that’s just that’s a s—– place to be,” Glaser said.
The event followed President Donald Trump’s removal of Kennedy Center leadership and his appointment as board chairman. “The Kennedy Center learned the hard way that if you go woke, you will go broke,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
Other comedians used the gala to satirize the political situation. John Mulaney joked about the venue being renamed, and Conan O’Brien said, “Twain hated bullies. He punched up, not down. And he deeply, deeply empathized with the weak.”
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.
