Comic Paula Poundstone isn’t in the slightest degree stunned at how shortly the information cycle modifications — particularly with Donald Trump within the Oval Workplace.
She laughs after we inform her we rewatched her look as a panelist on an October 2025 episode of CNN’s Have I Obtained Information for You and had been struck by how a lot has occurred in simply six months.
On the episode, Poundstone joked about matters together with the demolition of the White Home’s East Wing and New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James being indicted for financial institution fraud following calls by Trump for an investigation.
“It’s an overused phrase, however the information is sort of a firehose on daily basis,” Poundstone, 66, instructed the Present. “I feel to some extent, when [the Trump administration] isn’t making plenty of information, that’s stunning.”
Together with maintaining with the information as a lot as potential, Poundstone, who identifies as asexual and is a well-liked comic within the LGBTQ+ group, retains busy by internet hosting her weekly podcast No one Listens to Paula Poundstone. She’s additionally aregular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait … Don’t Inform Me.
Poundstone will make a tour cease at San Antonio’s Tobin Middle for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Might 30, for a stand-up comedy present.
Throughout our interview, Poundstone talked about changing into the primary lady comic to host the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner greater than 30 years in the past, Trump’s plan to carry out the comedy portion of this 12 months’s dinner himself earlier than it was canceled and whether or not comedy and free speech will survive the following two and a half years.
Is popping on the information the very first thing you do within the morning?
It’s not the very first thing I do, however I do pay plenty of consideration to it, which isn’t essentially a nasty factor. It might be a greater factor if good issues had been occurring, however I consider we’re going to show it round. It’ll take everyone placing an oar within the water.
In 1992, you grew to become the primary lady comedian to host the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner. Wanting again, does that second really feel historic to you, or did it really feel like simply one other gig?
It was thrilling on the time for all kinds of causes. It was a world I used to be not all that accustomed to, and I met some good folks. I like Washington, D.C. I imply, I feel the occasion itself has numerous issues, but it surely was definitely a unique time. I feel Trump dodged a bullet by not with the ability to go on [at the last Correspondents’ Dinner in April]. My guess is that it could have been another huge information merchandise about Trump saying horrible issues. The man has no judgment. A microphone and no judgment — not essentially a superb mixture.
It might have been the primary Correspondents’ Dinner he attended as president, however like final 12 months, there was no comic scheduled to carry out. He deliberate to do the roasting himself.
Yeah, I feel someplace alongside the way in which, any individual both stated to him, or he stated to himself, that he might [do the roast himself]. Trump thinks he’s good at all the things. He had the astronauts from the [Artemis II lunar mission] — one of the vital exceptional scientific endeavors ever — within the Oval Workplace, and he stated he might have been an astronaut. He’s an fool. He talks to somebody for 2 seconds and believes he might do their job.
“No one is aware of comedy higher than me” is one thing I’m certain he would have stated had he took the stage that night time.
Oh, gosh, yeah. Effectively, he thinks he’s actually humorous. He’s so terrible. I feel if he wasn’t evil, he’d be type of humorous. The issue is, he’s evil. For all I do know, Hitler might need had an exquisite humorousness. However I don’t know, and I don’t care.
Do evil folks want sleep? As of late, Trump appears to at all times have his eyes closed throughout conferences. I’ve heard his supporters say that he’s studying one thing on his desk or concentrating.
Or he’s blinking! For heaven’s sake! That’s ridiculous! Did you see the put up from the White Home the opposite day? (Observe: The official White Home Fast Response account wrote on X, “He was blinking, you absolute moron,” in response to a photograph a nationwide safety correspondent posted of Trump sleeping throughout a gathering within the Oval Workplace.) That [response] was mistaken on each degree. [Trump] falls asleep. He’s an previous man. Pay attention, I go to sleep too. I’m drained. If the shit he did hit him the way in which it hits us, he’d go to sleep twice as a lot. It’s exhausting being a citizen underneath him.
Have you learnt every other 80-year-olds who keep up till 3 a.m. posting on social media?
No. He considers it some badge of honor that he retains these very late-night hours. He slips it in right here and there. He’ll be telling a narrative about how he will get these Congress folks on the cellphone at 3 a.m. He doesn’t simply say, “I spoke with him on the cellphone.” He says, “I known as up Mike Johnson at 3 a.m.” So, it’s clearly one thing he’s pleased with. The factor is that sleep hygiene is a vital a part of good psychological well being. When you’ve wacky hours — and I’m talking from expertise right here — it does mess you up somewhat bit. So, I’m certain there are different elements that go into his madness, however that’s one in every of them.
Through the years, you’ve labored on TV, radio, panel reveals, podcasts, voice appearing and different platforms. What format expresses the true Paula Poundstone finest?
If you boil right down to my essence, I’m a stand-up comedian. However I used to be reflecting on podcasting the opposite day, and one of many issues I noticed is on a podcast, clearly, there’s no stay viewers in entrance of us. There’s one thing about the truth that I’m not in entrance of an viewers that has allowed me to be broader, somewhat bit extra experimental. I do voices and foolish characters and stuff on my podcast. It’s not the majority of what I do, however I do it. I’d by no means have the nerve to try this in entrance of an viewers. I’d say that I’ve loved the chance to discover totally different sides of me by way of podcasting that I’d unlikely have on stage.
We’ve seen the Trump administration’s method to free speech since his return to workplace. Do you suppose comedy will survive the following two and a half years?
I feel it can. I imply, it’s already been stymied to some extent by him going after the networks and the newspapers and the White Home Correspondents’ [Association]. [The WHCA] thinks it’s about entry, in order that causes them to cave or to maintain attempting to suck as much as him, which modifies their journalism. I’d say that that has already occurred.However you already know, I don’t suppose he’s going to make it for a full-term. I feel both his well being will take him out or the Republican Congress will lastly develop a backbone.
Do you suppose Trump ever actually needed to be president?
No. I feel someplace at the back of his thoughts he’s like, “I’ll do that terrible factor,” and perhaps they’ll eliminate me. However they by no means do. It’s like, “Jesus, what do I’ve to do to get out of this?” He’s like, “OK, I’ve executed each heinous factor I can consider, and so they nonetheless haven’t gotten rid of me! Hey, I’ll knock down the entire East Wing with out asking anyone. I’ll assault one other nation with out asking anyone.” That ought to do it — and it doesn’t! By the way in which, I feel there’s already been sufficient revealed within the Epstein Information that he’s damned.
You’ve constructed a profession on observational humor, however these days, it looks as if persons are experiencing life by way of their cell telephones and different gadgets. Do you suppose fashionable life is changing into more durable to watch honestly since you by no means know if what you’re watching is actual anymore?
Oh, my gosh, yeah. I imply, I’ve fallen for a couple of faux AI posts earlier than. It’s the worst time for us to have that. I don’t suppose it could be good for any society, however now we have a complete celebration that lies their ass off on daily basis. Now, there’s this extra instrument for mendacity. Within the earlier days of the web, folks would say, “For those who don’t have an image, it didn’t occur.” Now, even having an image doesn’t imply it occurred. It’s irritating. Each technology has some type of problem, however I definitely don’t envy younger folks. I really feel like my technology was the luckiest one in every of all, and now we’re bottoming out.
$63-$83.50, 7 p.m. Saturday, Might 30, Tobin Middle for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org.
