Kennedy Center Cuts Trump Joke from Mark Twain Broadcast

A joke about President Donald Trump was removed from the televised broadcast of the Mark Twain Prize ceremony honoring Bill Maher, with comedian Whitney Cummings stating the decision came from the Kennedy Center, not streaming partner Netflix. The special began streaming on Netflix on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, without the controversial quip.

Cummings performed at the live ceremony, which was taped at the Kennedy Center on June 28. During her set, she told the audience, "I actually heard Trump may come tonight, but he couldn't make it. He got caught in sex traffic," a line alluding to the president's past association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While the joke was delivered on stage and subsequently reported in the media, it was edited out of the final broadcast version.

On her "Good for You" podcast, Cummings explained that after the taping, she was asked to remove the joke from the televised special. She said Kennedy Center staff expressed concerns about potential legal action from Trump and fears for their own job security, noting that the president chairs the institution's board. "It was very clear to me that they would lose their jobs,"...