Whitney Cummings has revealed that she had to cut several jokes about Donald Trump before performing at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The comedian also claimed that another was edited out of Netflix’s filmed special of the event.
Cummings shared the details during a recent episode of her podcast, where she discussed the jokes she removed and explained why she decided not to perform them.
Speaking on her podcast, Cummings said concerns about the political climate surrounding the Kennedy Center partly influenced her decision to cut some of her jokes about Trump.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony was held at the Kennedy Center, where Cummings performed.
According to the comedian, she was surprised to learn that President Donald Trump serves as chair of the Kennedy Center’s board. She also claimed staff members warned her that certain jokes could cost them their jobs.
“We’ll get fired if you say that,” she recalled being told during rehearsals, adding that it was “the worst thing you could hear before [going on] as a comic.”
“Like what a dork,” Cummings said of Trump. “I’m like, if he even watches this, he is such a dork. Um, but I did cut a joke.”
The Trump Jokes Whitney Cummings Decided To Scrap
Among the jokes Cummings removed was a punchline about Trump putting his name on the Kennedy Center.
She joked that Trump had “always hated John F. Kennedy because the Kennedys had Marilyn Monroe before he had a chance to grab her,” referencing Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” remarks.
Another joke she had planned was that Trump could not attend the show because he “got caught in sex traffic.” Cummings claimed she performed that joke for the live audience but later realized producers had removed it from the Netflix special.
Reflecting on the experience, Cummings argued that comedians should not have to second-guess whether political jokes are acceptable before taking the stage.
Netflix Says Kennedy Center Controlled Trump Joke Edit
4On X, the comedian continued the discussion by posting a cryptic message alongside a clip from her Mark Twain Prize performance.
“Mark Twain Prize for @billmaher now on @NetflixIsAJoke. Netflix didn’t cut any of my jokes. Some were cut. Use your noggin,” Cummings wrote.
Entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni later appeared to clarify who was responsible for removing the “sex traffic” joke from the special.
He wrote, “New: Netflix tells me it wasn’t their call to omit Whitney Cummings’ Trump ‘sex traffic’ joke from Mark Twain Prize show: ‘While it’s our preference not to cut jokes from anyone’s set, The Kennedy Center has the contractual right to do so.’”
Trump’s Kennedy Center Shake-Up Sparked Controversy
4Trump’s controversy with the Kennedy Center began after he removed former president Deborah Rutter, replaced former board chair David Rubenstein, and dismissed several board members appointed by former President Joe Biden.
He later appointed a new board that included several allies, including Second Lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Fox News host Laura Ingraham, before installing himself as chairman of the center.
The controversy later escalated after Trump announced plans to rename the institution the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
The White House press secretary said the Kennedy Center board had unanimously approved the proposal, citing “the unbelievable work President Trump has done in saving the building.”
Judge Blocks Trump’s Kennedy Center Name Change
4Last month, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocked the proposed name changes and paused renovation plans at the Kennedy Center.
Cooper ruled that the proposal appeared to violate the 1964 federal law establishing the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and as a symbol of the nation’s commitment to the arts.
He further stated that any attempt to rename the institution would require congressional approval, noting that only Congress has the authority to amend the law governing the center.
Following the ruling, Trump’s legal team sought to pause the decision while pursuing an appeal. However, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the lower court’s decision would remain in effect while the appeal proceeds.