Ty Cobb, who used to be a lawyer for the White House, recently made some pretty serious comments about how Donald Trump’s treatment of the press reminds him of authoritarian regimes. While discussing this chilling comparison, he also cracked a dark joke about comedy in Trump’s potential second term.
“What’s happening now really echoes times we’ve seen in history,” Cobb shared in an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker. He referenced how, back in 1939, Dr. Goebbels, following orders from Hitler, banned several comedians in Germany for making fun of the government through satire.
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Cobb didn’t stop there; he also drew similarities with Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. He explained that one of Putin’s first crucial moves in the early 2000s was to shut down critical media outlets, systematically eliminating independent TV channels, either by buying them out or forcing them to close.
“Trump is engaged in a vendetta against anyone who criticizes him,” Cobb stated. “It’s all about revenge for him. Unfortunately, people beneath him, like Brendan Carr from the FCC, are backing these actions too.”
His cautionary words came just as ABC announced the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. Meanwhile, Trump has been calling for the removal of late-night hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, all of whom have taken jabs at him. Cobb expressed how “tragic” the situation is, predicting that more comedians could find themselves in the crosshairs.
He delivered a humor-laden line, saying, “Before long, the last comedian standing will just end up being Karoline Leavitt,” in reference to the current Trump White House press secretary, humorously remarking that her statements sometimes seem mocking but aren’t meant that way.
To see the interview, check it out starting from the 10:50 mark:
