Former “Saturday Night Live” star Leslie Jones has recalled Donald Trump appearing nervous during a 2015 table read before he hosted the NBC sketch show.
Jones discussed the episode on the “Obsessed” podcast with Matt Wilstein. She said she had viewed Trump mainly through his “The Apprentice” television persona at the time.
The comedian said Trump appeared anxious when he arrived for the table read carrying his scripts. She recalled responding with humour after he took a business call during the session.
Jones said she interpreted his behavior as insecurity and compared him to Biff Tannen, the fictional antagonist from the “Back to the Future” films.
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Looking back, Jones said her opinion of Trump changed significantly after his political rise. She also criticised his presidency during the podcast discussion.
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Trump hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2015, before winning the U.S. presidential election the following year. Jones left “SNL” in 2019 and has criticised Trump publicly on several occasions since then.
Former cast member Taran Killam has also spoken critically about the 2015 episode. In a 2017 NPR interview, Killam said cast members could hear protesters outside during the table read and later expressed regret about Trump’s appearance.
