Jon Lovett Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Donald Trump may not like being a punchline and seemingly never laughs, but he has a funny bone behind his frowns and scowls. Just ask Obama speechwriter and self-described comedian Jon Lovett. "Trump's very funny. When he says Merry Christmas to all the haters and losers, that's funny. He's funny," Lovett tells The Hollywood Reporter from the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Sure, the U.S. president has laid ruin to U.S. politics since returning to the White House. "Trump is a vandal. He's doing vandalism to our country," Lovett insists. But he can't ignore Trump's surprise comedy chops behind that lower lip pout or when he shows open anger. Related Stories News Oasis Play Wembley: 5 Takeaways From Liam and Noel Gallagher's Nostalgia-Packed Return to Stage News Ryan Reynolds Zings Rob Mac at Just for Laughs Awards "When he steamrolls in an interview, or when he's on stage, he's doing his version of crowd work with his MAGA base. So I do think he's funny. That's part of his skill," Lovett argues. He took to the stage in Montreal for a live presentation of his Lovett or Leave It podcast, with Gianmarco Soresi, Roy Wood Jr., Mary Beth Barone and Zach Zucker as guests. And while Trump's no stand-up, Lovett insists "he's got a cruel sense of humor, and it works at times. He has a great sense for television. He knows what's going to play well. And he knows when what's happening is silly or ridiculous, and he knows when he needs to be on the outside of it, with the audience watching it." "We can pretend otherwise, but we do so at our peril," he added. For Lovett, as a host of the Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It podcasts from Crooked Media, doing audio content allows him to fulfill all his creative interests and goals. "It's writing. It's performing. It's politics. It's comedy. And I get to do all of them," he explains. All of which is an unconventional route to stand-up for Lovett. "I didn't do open mikes out of college, my path to telling jokes on stage wasn't the traditional one. I always feel a little bit of an outsider in the comedy world," he admits. And Lovett points to the challenge of making comedy amid Trump's world of distractions and political division. "It'll be hard to describe to future generations how stupid and dangerous politics in American have become," he explains. One solution is to use comedy as opposition to Trump, including the Democratic Party, and become happy warriors, because the serious part of politics is exhausting, embarrassing and causes unending anxiety. "We have to stay invested, and that's going to be a mix of seriousness when it's called for, but also a willingness to make fun of thse people for being fools like Trump is a clown with a gun. The gun doesn't change the fact that he's a clown, and the fact that he's a clown doesn't change the fact he's holding a gun," Lovett insists. The Just For Laughs comedy festival continues through Sunday. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Paltrow Becomes "Temporary Spokesperson" for Astronomer Amid Coldplay Kiss-Cam Scandal Ozzy Osbourne Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Spotify Streams Spike Following Osbourne's Death Will Smith Chris Rock's "Brilliant" Laugh Factory Set Covered Divorce, 'Love Island,' Halle Berry and Yes, the Slap Terry Lewis Chappell Roan, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to Be Honored at SONA Warrior Awards united kingdom Oasis Play Wembley: 5 Takeaways From Liam and Noel Gallagher's Nostalgia-Packed Return to Stage Spotify King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Pull Catalog From Spotify Over Daniel Ek's Investment in Defense Tech Company Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Paltrow Becomes "Temporary Spokesperson" for Astronomer Amid Coldplay Kiss-Cam Scandal Ozzy Osbourne Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath Spotify Streams Spike Following Osbourne's Death Will Smith Chris Rock's "Brilliant" Laugh Factory Set Covered Divorce, 'Love Island,' Halle Berry and Yes, the Slap Terry Lewis Chappell Roan, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to Be Honored at SONA Warrior Awards united kingdom Oasis Play Wembley: 5 Takeaways From Liam and Noel Gallagher's Nostalgia-Packed Return to Stage Spotify King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Pull Catalog From Spotify Over Daniel Ek's Investment in Defense Tech Company