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Conan O’Brien is speaking out about his decision to attend the Kennedy Center‘s March 23 event to accept the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor after President Donald Trump‘s election to the board.
“Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there’s been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center,” O’Brien said on the latest episode of his “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast. “There was a question of, ‘Should I go? Should I not go?’ And I felt like it was important to show up.”
O’Brien explained that he was awarded by the “old regime” and that he “thought we should honor their decision.” The event marked the first national event at the Kennedy Center since chairman David Rubenstein and president Deborah Rutter were replaced by President Donald Trump in February.
On the podcast, O’Brien also said that young people who have worked at the Kennedy Center for several years were “delighted” that he still showed up. “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.”
The award ceremony featured occasional quips and jabs against the Trump administration, including by fellow Mark Twain prize winner Will Ferrell, who joked: “I’m supposed to be shutting down the Department of Education.”
Most recently, O’Brien hosted the 97th Academy Awards and is set to host again next year after the positive response. The Kennedy Center ceremony, where David Letterman presented to O’Brien, will air May 4 on Netflix.
Watch the official episode of the podcast below.
