Roseanne Barr: America Is 'Lucky' To Have Trump As President
While celebrity tweets and awards-show speeches make it clear where many entertainers stand on the Trump administration, some stars have less predictable takes.
Roseanne Barr, whose popular sitcom “Roseanne” is set for a reboot later this year, appeared on ABC’s “20/20” recently for an interview in which she shared some thoughts about President Donald Trump.
She offered her analysis of the 2016 presidential election, suggesting Trump was able to tap into issues Americans inherently cared about, while Democratic rival Hillary Clinton focused on more obscure ideals.
“He did talk about jobs,” she said. “So that’s what you need to do if you want working people to vote for you, not Syrian airspace.”
Though both candidates were widely unpopular outside of their respective narrow bases, Barr suggested voters reacted to the message that resonated the most with them.
“I don’t think Hillary talked about jobs much,” she said. “She always was talking about Syrian airspace. I’m like, do you think people in America are — maybe they do. I didn’t, though.”
From her perspective as a comedian, Barr said both the election and its outcome have been a boon for her craft.
“Trump offended half of Americans, she offended the other half, so that’s great for sitcoms, great for comedy,” she said.
As for the result of that election, she said it is working out well for her career.
“We’re lucky to have him as a president,” she said. “It’s great for comedy.”
Though her recent endorsement was based on comedic value instead of his policies or qualifications, Barr has expressed some support for Trump in the past.
As Fox News reported, she has also announced that her sitcom character will be written as a Trump voter in new episodes of the classic series.
“It’s just realistic,” she said last month, explaining that her working-class character would in all likelihood have supported Trump’s candidacy.
Barr said she has always “attempted to portray a realistic portrait of the American people and working-class people.”
Following the 2016 election, she knew her fictional family would resonate with millions of voters across the country who believed Trump spoke for them.
“In fact, it was working-class people that elected Trump, so I felt that was very real and something that needed to be discussed,” she said.
Reports indicate Barr personally voted for Trump, a decision she publicly defended.
“I think it was time for us, as a country, to shake things up and try something new,” she said.
She stopped short of giving him blanket support, though, making it clear she was not a “Trump apologist” and did not agree with some of the “crazy s—” he has said.
“There are a lot of things he has said and done that I don’t agree with,” she said, describing the 2016 election as “the lesser of two evils.”
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