Comedian Whitney Cummings has confirmed that a joke targeting President Donald Trump was edited out of the Netflix broadcast of the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The ceremony, which honored late-night host Bill Maher, took place on June 28 at the Kennedy Center and began streaming on Netflix on July 21.
The Cut Joke and Audience Reaction
The specific joke removed from the final product was: Donald Trump couldn’t make it tonight. He got caught in sex traffic.
Cummings, who performed the bit on stage during the live event, noted that the joke had already circulated online after being reported by a journalist in the audience.
On her podcast, Good for You, Cummings explained that she was informed by venue staff that the joke would be removed from the broadcast. She expressed frustration at the censorship, particularly given the nature of the Mark Twain Prize. This is the Mark Twain prize,
Cummings said. This is the only time you shouldn’t get censored because it is about comedians using humor to criticize our elected officials.
Institutional Pressure and Employment Concerns
The decision to remove the content occurred against a backdrop of significant leadership changes at the Kennedy Center. Following his inauguration, President Trump appointed himself chairman of the board and installed loyalists in key leadership roles at the venue.
Cummings stated that she felt caught in a tricky conundrum
regarding the edit. She noted that while she initially wanted to fight for the inclusion of the joke, she became concerned that staff members at the venue might face professional consequences if it remained. I just want to be clear that the people who work there did their jobs well and protected their boss,
Cummings said. They protected the president of the United States from me destroying his reputation.
She also mentioned that she had been warned by staff that the president might initiate legal action, referencing a 2013 lawsuit Trump filed against Bill Maher over a previous joke.
Netflix and Kennedy Center Responses
Despite speculation regarding the streaming platform’s involvement, both Cummings and a Netflix spokesperson clarified that the decision to cut the material rested with the Kennedy Center.
In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, the Netflix spokesperson stated: While it’s our preference not to cut jokes from anyone’s set, The Kennedy Center has the contractual right to do so.
Cummings also addressed the situation on X, writing: I was super clear that Netflix did not cut anything from my Mark Twain prize set. Netflix always supports comedy and comics. Quit spreading rumors ya weirdos.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center suggested that edits are made collaboratively to produce the best broadcast product.
Additional Censorship Claims
The removal of the “sex traffic” joke was not the only instance of material being altered. Cummings revealed that a separate joke regarding the president and John F. Kennedy was entirely nixed during rehearsals.
According to Consequence of Sound, Cummings recalled that during practice sessions, staff members expressed concern that they would be fired if she delivered the lines. While some of her material targeting the president remained—including a quip about the president having influence over the Kennedy Center’s programming—the comedian maintained that the environment at the venue had shifted significantly under new management.
The Mark Twain Prize has historically recognized artists for “fearless” and “uncompromising” perspectives, a legacy Cummings noted felt at odds with the current restrictions placed on her performance.
Worth a look