Jeff Dunham: Comedy’s Freedom Restored After Trump’s Victory?
Comedy veteran and celebrated ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is breathing a sigh of relief. He believes the comedic landscape of America has been revitalized following Donald Trump’s recent apparent political success, a development Dunham sees as a significant blow against the oppressive forces of cancel culture. According to Dunham, this societal shift had previously stifled comedic expression, preventing comedians from tackling certain subjects and crafting jokes they once freely delivered.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Dunham, renowned for his sharp-tongued onstage performances alongside his cast of ventriloquist dummies, expressed his belief that Trump’s political resurgence acted as a catalyst for a renewed sense of freedom within the comedy community. "But now with Trump back in office, just to me as a comedian, you just kind of felt this weight off your back… you feel like you can now joke about the things that we used to joke about," Dunham explained, suggesting a palpable sense of liberation among his peers.
Dunham, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most tickets sold for a stand-up comedy tour during his "Spark of Insanity" tour (2007-2010), openly admitted to feeling restricted in recent years. He felt unable to joke about certain topics or voice his opinions on specific issues due to the pervasive rise of cancel culture.
He explained that openly discussing politics or advocating for "common sense" ideas had become increasingly "painful," given the prevailing climate. Sensitive groups, he noted, were quick to punish or shame public figures for expressing opinions deemed politically incorrect, effectively chilling free speech within the entertainment industry.
Dunham went as far as to assert that comedy, a domain he considers "one of the last forms of free speech," had been significantly stifled until Trump’s victory. "And the fact that in the past few years that was tromped on, and almost really squelched – really was squelched – its just so refreshing right now to at least feel like its okay to do real stand-up comedy now."
The comic emphasized the importance of incorporating a touch of offensive material into his act, arguing that it’s a vital component of genuine comedic expression. "To me, a comedian takes it to the line," he stated. "He knows his audience, his or her audience. You take it to the line and you step over it just a little bit. So to me, Ive always believed that if Im offending three to five percent of the room, thats the entertainment that everybody else is laughing the hardest at. And thats why they keep coming back, because theyre hearing stuff that they dont get to hear anywhere else."
Dunham acknowledged that his comedy has faced criticism over the years, with some accusing his ventriloquist dummies of perpetuating racial stereotypes. His roster of puppets includes Bubba J, a character the comic’s website describes as being "proud of his redneck heritage." Another is José Jalapeño On a Stick, a pepper of Mexican heritage adorned with a mustache and sombrero. Perhaps the most controversial is Achmed, the Dead Terrorist, a puppet that initially parodied Al Qaeda terror mastermind, Osama bin Laden.
He candidly admitted that he intentionally designed these characters to be stereotypes. "Well, when it comes to the characters, you know, inventing the character is responding to whats going on – like I said – its responding to whats going on in society and what I think the audience is to laugh at. And then its literally coming up with topics and subject matter that people can relate to. Same with the character. They have to be relatable. And people, as you know, accused me of having stereotypes of my characters. Like, yeah! Thats the point."
He elaborated on this point by highlighting his puppet Walter: "Youve got this old grumpy old man, hes a grumpy old man." Then, turning to Bubba J, he added, "Youve got this redneck, you know? Borderline white trash. Yeah, people understand that. And then they expect a certain kind of material and a certain personality, and that works for you. Its just like a sitcom."
Dunham isn’t shy about incorporating political commentary into his onstage performances. In some shows, he repurposes Walter to impersonate former President Joe Biden, while in others, he outfits him with a blonde wig to mock President Trump. "So yeah, Walter dressed up like Trump, and then he dressed up like Biden with the videos," he explained, describing the political humor as "good-natured fun."
The comic also discussed the boundaries he pushed with Achmed, which he described as his "response to 9-11." Dunham stated that he refused to play it safe with the character, deciding to debut it in a location that would maximize its impact. "Im not going to go to Hawaii or Juneau, Alaska or somewhere in California to try this. Im going to go where it counts. And I was booked at a club called Bananas Comedy Club, six miles from Ground Zero."
He recounted the audience’s initial reaction when he introduced the character as Osama bin Laden at the New York club: "It was like God took a vacuum and sucked all the air out of the room." However, he recalled that the moment he brought out the funny-looking skeleton puppet and ad-libbed the character’s now-infamous "I KILL YOU!" catchphrase, the show "could not have gone better."
"I mean, it couldnt have gone better, and it just went from there," he said, describing the debut of the puppet that would evolve into a stereotype of radical jihadists the world over.
The discussion of cancel culture and offensive material led Dunham to speak frankly about the political climate in California, where he resides with his wife and children. "I just feel this beautiful state has been politically run into the ground," he lamented. "And its unfortunate because its one of the most beautiful states in the country."
Dunham, who moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s to further his comedy career, argued that "the people that have been in power in the last few years have made terrible decisions and made life ridiculous out here, and it could be a different way."
He stressed that he does not want to be associated with the progressive ideology often attributed to California, noting that a strong conservative population exists in the state, yearning to restore it to "common sense." He considers himself among those Californians who, during the 2024 election, "waved their hand and said, ‘You know, I live here too, and Im going to vote the other way, and we have a chance of bringing the state back to some sort of sense of, of common sense.’"
He added that he remains in California because he believes "it can come back to some sense of normality and sanity." Dunham continued, asserting that he wouldn’t have openly discussed the issues plaguing his state before the recent election. "Would I have spoken this candidly a year ago? Probably not, because it was still kind of dangerous," he explained, reiterating his belief that Trump’s apparent victory empowers comedians to once again push the boundaries of humor.
Despite this newfound sense of freedom, Dunham believes that some lessons have been learned from the period of intense speech policing. "Have we learned anything? Yes. You dont want to make fun of groups, and theres certain topics and a line that you dont want to cross. But I do think that its loosened up a little bit," he concluded.
