Baldwin told Brian Lehrer on the WNYC radio host’s show earlier this week that he had a fan in Melania Trump, who, per the actor, thinks his impression of President Trump is spot-on despite her husband’s vocal criticisms of the show. The actor said he heard the rumor through a grapevine of well-connected acquaintances.
The White House called the assertion “bizarre” in a statement to Newsweek, flatly denying it.
But Thursday evening, the actor addressed the idea once again as he appeared onstage at New York’s 92Y alongside his You Can’t Spell America Without Me co-author, Kurt Andersen, and radio host Lehrer. Baldwin’s satirical Trump memoir was released earlier this month.
“I forget where we were,” he began, “but somebody said, ‘I spoke with so-and-so, who spoke with so-and-so who’s in the administration or was in the administration, and he told me that Melania loves your Trump imitation, thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world, and he hates the fact she thinks you’re funny ― despises you even more because she thinks you’re funny.’”
“And I’m telling you, this guy told me that somebody very high up in the administration, or formerly high up in the administration—” he said, trailing off amid laughter from the audience. The actor then acknowledged how the White House had responded to his claim before joking, “Trump’s on the phone telling her social secretary what to say to the press, but Melania’s in the other room watching ‘SNL.’”
Though Baldwin famously does not count himself among the president’s supporters, he noted that someone close to him might have voted Trump in the 2016 election ― Jack Donaghy, the constantly besuited executive character he played on “30 Rock.”
“He probably voted for Trump, holding his nose the whole time,” he said.
Charles McDonald and Nate Tice's latest mock draft has five quarterbacks off the board in the top 13, a big-time weapon for Aaron Rodgers and some steals in the second half of the first round.
One common thread runs between Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun's departure and the death knell for GE next week: Jack Welch. Veteran financial journalist Allan Sloan notes that of the CEOs Welch mentored, four succeeded while 13 failed.
Jason Fitz is joined by Senior NFL Reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein to go behind the scenes on the latest rumors and news around the NFL. The trio start with takeaways from the NFL owner's meetings as Jori was on the ground in Orlando. The hosts discuss the fallout of the new kickoff rule (are rosters going to change because of it?), the two Christmas Day games and what the heck Jerry Jones was doodling in his notebook.
Next, it's time to pull out the crystal ball as the hosts attempt to look into the future for some key quarterbacks, starting with Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy's draft stock has been skyrocketing lately as some rumors emerged that he could go as high as second overall. Charles gives his thoughts and what he's hearing from GMs around the league before moving onto Brock Purdy and whether San Francisco will be willing to pay him when the time comes. Charles dives deeper into the 2024 quarterback class and why every prospect has a massive red flag, and Jori gives us the latest on the Dak Prescott contract negotiations, which seem to be heading in the wrong direction. All signs are pointing towards Dak hitting free agency next offseason. Finally, Fitz wraps things up by asking about Deion Sanders' comments about choosing where his sons get drafted and whether or not player empowerment could be ascending to a new level with the emergence of NIL.
McCarthy's draft stock is soaring the past couple weeks, with betting odds following suit and his former coach heaping praise. Do NFL evaluators and front office members think it's real, or the latest in a long line of smokescreens?