The trailer for Conan O'Brien's Kennedy Center toast doesn't go there

Donald Trump's name isn't mentioned once in a new look at the Netflix special.

By Emma Keates  |  April 29, 2025 | 1:24pm
Photo: Netflix
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The trailer for Conan O'Brien's Kennedy Center toast doesn't go there
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The Kennedy Center has been the center of a nasty conversation about freedom in the arts ever since President Trump ousted the institution’s president and board in February.  You’d barely know it from the trailer for Netflix’s new special, Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor, though. O’Brien accepted the prize on March 23, a little over a month after Trump followed through on his promise to install himself as chair of the Center’s board. Many artists canceled their bookings in response, but not O’Brien, who later defended his appearance by explaining that he felt he should “honor” the “old regime”‘s decision to present him with the award, per Variety. 

During the actual ceremony, an acclaimed line-up of O’Brien’s peers—including Nikki Glaser, Will Ferrell, David Letterman, Kumail Nanjiani, John Mulaney, Tracy Morgan, and more—often addressed the elephant in the room, according to a report from NPR. Those references are largely absent from the new trailer, however, aside from a clip of David Letterman deeming the evening “the most entertaining gathering of the resistance ever.” An introduction featuring Robert Smigel’s Triumph the Insult Comic Dog admonishing the audience, “Thank you all for coming, and shame on you for being here,” also serves as an abstract reminder of the stakes of the evening.

For the most part, though, the trailer chooses to keep its spotlight on the man of the hour. His comedy pals all sing his praises (and a few of his pitfalls) in their respective sets. O’Brien’s best-in-show Hot Ones performance even gets a shoutout from Stephen Colbert and host Sean Evans. We’ll see if some of the heavier parts of the evening make the final cut when Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor premieres May 4 on Netflix.

 
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