You wouldn’t think to ever see a Hollywood message of support for President Trump on a network morning show, nor would you in your wildest dreams imagine that message of support coming from a big name Hollywood comedian. Though that’s what happened when Tracy Morgan made a happy and hope-filled appearance on NBC’s Today.
The SNL legend and star of current Hulu comedy series The Last O.G. urged Americans to show gratitude for the medical officials on the front lines of the coronavirus fight and also urged citizens to give President Trump the benefit of the doubt in handling the crisis. “Imagine being a president of a country and your country got sick. It’s difficult for him,” he stated.
Today host Hoda Kotb brought Morgan on Tuesday, April 7 to talk about his time during quarantine. Initially, Morgan’s conversation involved him cracking jokes. Though just as the interview started to seem too ridiculous, Morgan pivoted to a compassionate and common sense appeal to unity in these times. He began with praise for hospital workers: “I know what goes on in there, and I know these people, they work hard to take care of you.” “They sure do,” Hoda replied.
“I’m very proud of them, they’re my heroes. Like I said, when we’re running out of the burning building, the firemen are running in,” he continued, also adding praise for law enforcement officers: “They don’t know if they’re ever going back home… We gotta give them respect.”
Kotb then invited Morgan to talk about the new, third season of his series The Last O.G. which he called “awesome” and his “gift to the world” to keep people “entertained.” He acknowledged “The struggle is real.”
The most surprising portion of the interview happened when the comedian claimed, “People want to criticize the president, but imagine being the president of a country and your country got sick.” He urged viewers to recognize, “it’s difficult for him. We all got to pull together as people. Now! Now’s not the time for blame and all these other things -- anger -- it’s here now,” Morgan stressed.
“So let’s just stay safe and do the protocol that we have to do!” he concluded, holding up a mask. Tracy Morgan should know that many folks appreciate his levity during these serious and scary times. His common sense is pretty powerful too, as it’s all too rare in the media these days.
