Rob Schneider pans Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump impersonation
Comedian Rob Schneider says Alec Baldwin’s impression of Donald Trump isn’t funny because it is ‘fuming, seething anger.’
Rob Schneider thinks Alec Baldwin's "Saturday Night Live" Donald Trump impersonation is ruining the show because Baldwin has let his personal politics take center stage.
"The fun of 'Saturday Night Live' was [...] you never knew which way they leaned politically," Schneider told The New York Daily News on Friday. "You kind of assumed they would lean more left and liberal, but now the cat's out of the bag [and] they are completely against Trump, which I think makes it less interesting because you know the direction the piece is going."
The former "SNL" regular compared Baldwin's performance to comedian Dana Carvey's impression of George H.W. Bush in the late '80s and '90s.
Carvey recently appeared on "Conan" to discuss his 25-year friendship with the former president. Over the years, Carvey said he grew close to Bush, even exchanging phone numbers.
"You kind of assumed they would lean more left and liberal, but now the cat's out of the bag they are completely against Trump, which I think makes it less interesting because you know the direction the piece is going."
"We had so many warm moments with them ... It was a different time," Carvey admitted.
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Schneider says Baldwin's impression of Trump is different from Carvey's playful impersonation of Bush.
AP (Rob Schneider says Alec Baldwins impression of President Trump is biased and he has "nothing but ... anger" toward the president.)
"Carvey played it respectfully," Schneider said. "To me, the genius of Dana Carvey was Dana always had empathy for the people he played, and Alec Baldwin has nothing but a fuming, seething anger toward the person he plays."
And it's clear from looking at Baldwin's Twitter account, Schneider says, that he has very strong opinions about the Trump administration.
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"I don't find his impression to be comical," Schneider told the Daily News. "Because, like I said, I know the way his politics lean and it spoils any surprise. There's no possible surprise. He so clearly hates the man he's playing."
"Alec Baldwin has nothing but a fuming, seething anger toward the person he plays."
This isn't the first time Schneider has scolded a public figure for their words and actions against Trump. In January 2017, Schneider came under fire for calling out Rep. John Lewis for not attending Trump’s inauguration and for telling "Meet the Press" he's not a “legitimate president.”
“Rep. Lewis, you are a great person. But Dr. King didn’t give in to his anger or his hurt. That is how he accomplished & won Civil Rights," Schneider said in a since-deleted tweet posted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Schneider also attacked UC Berkeley for cancelling conservative commentator Ann Coulter's speech last April, arguing it limited Americans' right to free speech.
"UC Berkeley, after you done eliminating speech you don't like & words you don’t like what’s next?" the comedian tweeted. "Maybe add burning books to the curriculum."
Berkeley asked Coulter to postpone her appearance for a month after protests over the planned speech grew into a nationally watched firestorm.
Schneider reportedly used to consider himself a Democrat but he's since become an Independent — a move he realizes may not be popular with all of his fans.
"Literally if you don't go the party line — you're out. There's a real ugliness to it," he explained.
He clarified his comments in a tweet early Friday, saying he "greatly admires" Baldwin but adds it's "more fun to play the middle."
Schneider is now starring in his own Netflix series called "Real Rob," which is based on his family and struggles with fame. He says Season 3 of the comedy is on its way.
Fox News' Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.
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