For most of his life, John Mulaney made a living out of making people laugh (and being the voice of Spider-Man). However, when he hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) back in 2020, there were some under the impression that he took the joke too far.
In fact, the actor was even accused of threatening then-president Donald Trump and as such, it warranted an investigation by no less than the Secret Service.
What Did John Mulaney Do When He Hosted SNL?
SNL will always hold a special place in Mulaney’s heart because the comedian served as one of the writers on the longtime running show way back. He made his debut as a host back in 2018 and had been going back to host from time to time since.
Around February 2020, Mulaney had returned to host the show for a third time. As always, there were just jokes prepared for the show. There was also a monologue, which is expected of every SNL host. This time around, Mulaney decided to tackle Julius Caesar, remarking, “He was such a powerful maniac that all the senators grabbed knives and stabbed him to death.” He then followed it up with the statement, “That would be an interesting thing if we brought that back now.” The comedian also jokingly revealed that asked his lawyer if could make this joke on television. “And he said, ‘Let me call another lawyer’ and that lawyer said yes.”
Mulaney then follows up the monologue with a confession about how he dislikes “the Founding Fathers immensely.” He further explained, “I hate when people are like, God has never created such a great group of men than the Founding Fathers. Yeah, the ’92 Bulls. That’s actually a perfect metaphor for the United States When I was a boy, the United States was like Michael Jordan in 1992. Now, the United States is like Michael Jordan now.” He goes on to talk about the Constitution and also makes a joke involving gun rights.
Even with his joke apparently being ‘cleared’ by a lawyer, it didn’t mean that Mulaney could escape trouble altogether. Before he knew it, Mulaney became the subject of a serious Secret Service investigation.
What The Secret Service File Reveals
Less than a month before Mulaney’s hosting stint, the Secret Service launched an investigation on the comedian in March 2020. The file, which was obtained by AP through the Freedom of Information Act, explains that the monologue was “discovered gaining considerable attention.” It added, “Although no direct threats were made, it is likely concerned citizens will report this.”
And although the former president was never mentioned in the monologue, the file alleges that Mulaney “made inappropriate statements regarding President Trump on Saturday Night Live broadcasted on 2/29/20.” While conducting the investigation, the Secret Service also revealed that it got in touch with Thomas McCarthy, NBC Universal’s Global Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President, “to express the agency’s desire to discuss the aforementioned incident with attorneys for Mulaney.”
John Mulaney Revealed The Secret Service Contacted Him
The file may state that interviews were never conducted on this matter. However, Mulaney revealed that the Secret Service contacted him, nonetheless. The stand-up comedian even elaborated about his exchange with the agents during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“What also happened was, there’s a service that operates for the president and it’s a secret. They’re a secret service and they… they investigated me, and I guess they opened a file on me because of the joke,” Mulaney explained while on the show. “Am I stoked there’s a file opened on me? Absolutely. Did I enjoy it in the moment? Not so much. But the person vetting me was very understanding.” At the same time, the comedian revealed that the agency treated him well. “They were very nice in the interview. In terms of risk assessment, no one that’s ever looked at me thought I registered above a one.”
That said, the Secret Service still pressed Mulaney on any past actions that can be seen as a threat against the former president, specifical manifestos against Trump or even “online rants.” When asked about this, the comedian recalled, “I said, ‘No, I have bad writing habits, I could never pound out a manifesto.” Meanwhile, Mulaney also made it clear that he delivered “a joke that was not about Donald Trump.” Instead, “it was an elliptical reference to him.” Mulaney has since been “cleared by the Secret Service, I’ve been told.” The file also reveals that the Mulaney’s case has been closed.
Since then, Mulaney has moved on with his life, hosting another SNL show and checking into a rehab facility in Pennsylvania for drug and alcohol abuse (and filing for divorce from his wife) recently. He has since been preparing to make a return to stand-up comedy with a new material entitled John Mulaney: From Scratch. Mulaney recently added 10 new Boston dates to his tour. At present, they are already sold out.