Al Franken is an Emmy-winning writer and producer, New York Times bestselling author and a former U.S. Senator.
He’s also a huge Minnesota Vikings fan who was blown away by Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
“I watch every Vikings game, almost all of them with my son. We’ve gone crazy this year. We’re eight and one,” he explained to Sam Rubin on the KTLA 5 Morning News. “I would’ve said before this game that we were the worse seven-and-one team in history, but after beating Buffalo that was a spectacular game!”
On Sunday, Fox angered fans when it cut away from the game. Sam asked Franken if he would’ve done something about it if he were still in office.
He revealed that when he was on the judiciary committee, he dealt with something similar. Residents in Western Wisconsin would get Vikings games but not Packers games. Former Sen. Russell Feingold (D- WI) wasn’t happy with it either and it became an actual FCC concern from citizens.
“It was the most, sort of, ‘I’m a Senator from Minnesota, screw you,'” Franken laughed. “Every once in a while there’s one of those. Yes, I’m working for the people of Minnesota.”
The comedian left office in January 2018 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. He resigned three weeks after multiple women claimed he touched them inappropriately.
To this day, he says he regrets leaving his post. Something he has been very vocal about.
“I should’ve gotten due process. My Democratic colleagues didn’t give it to me,” he revealed. “Still I’m a Democrat. I worked very hard this election to help Democrats. I have a political action committee. I raised money. I campaigned around the country. I believe in the Democratic party.”
Following the midterm elections, Franken weighed in on the “red wave” that Republicans were hoping for but never happened.
“My wife said to me, ‘the American people just said ‘stop it” and I think that’s what this midterm was about, which was this election denial is ridiculous. Americans know that and they just said ‘stop it,'” he revealed. “They were saying ‘stop it’ to Republicans who just have been chicken and giving into Trump and my former Republican colleagues who would not acknowledge that Biden was fairly elected.”
When it comes to politics and comedy, the former “SNL” writer believes they go hand-in-hand.
“I talk a lot about my experience in the Senate, but it’s comedy,” he said about his live tour. “I started after leaving the Senate, giving speeches and I realized this is 80% comedy and I really admired standup and started going to The Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village in New York and I just love doing it. I’ve done 30-some cities.”
Catch Franken’s live show in Los Angeles on Dec. 14 at the El Rey Theatre.
