VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
BEFORE WE START.
>> Jimmy: YES.
>> THERE'S SOME YINACCURACIES I 
THE FRED WILLARD PIECE.
>> Jimmy: OH, YOU MEAN HAL.
WHAT ARE THE INACCURACIES?
>> IT IS NOT HARVEST TIME.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S FEBRUARY, I GUESS NOT.
>> THERE'S THAT.
ALSO, MINNESOTA HAS CAUCUSES.
>> Jimmy: UH-HUH.
>> AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE,
WHO VOLUNTEER.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT.
>> THEY'RE GREAT.
AND THEY'RE VERY CIVIC-MINDED.
IT
IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT.
>> Jimmy: YOU'RE SAYING FRED WAS
NOT THOSE THINGS, I MEAN, HAL?
>> HE WAS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF 
THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO DID THAT.
>> Jimmy: IS IOWA REPRESENT 
ITREPRESENTATIVE
OF THE UNITED STATES?
SHOULD THEY HAVE SO MUCH WEIGHT 
WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE 
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE?
>> NO.
[ APPLAUSE ]
BUT IT'S A RA DIGGS, AND IT GOT 
SCREWED UP.
>> Jimmy: IS IT GOING TO HURT 
THE DEMOCRATS, THIS SNAFU OR 
WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT?
>> NO.
TRUMP CRITICIZED HEMTHEM FOR MAG
THIS MISTAKE, THEY'RE 
INCOMPETENT.
HIS HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT
SEPARATED ALL THESE CHILDREN 
FROM THEIR PARENTS.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S WORSE.
>> AND DIDN'T KEEP TRACK OF HEM.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S MUCH WORSE, 
YES.
SOME MIGHT SAY THINK 
INTENTIONALLY DIDN'T KEEP TRACK 
OF THEM.
YOU WATCHED THE STATE OF THE 
UNION I ASSUME.
>> YES.
>> Jimmy: IS THIS SOMETHING YOU 
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING?
>> WELL, I LOOKED FORWARD TO 
SEEING IT MORE WHEN I WAS IN THE
SENATE.
>> Jimmy: HOW MANY TIMES WERE 
YOU THERE AT THE STATE OF THE 
UNION IN PERSON?
>> SEVEN OR EIGHT.
IT'S AN AMAZING THING.
YOU'RE IN THAT HISTORIC CHAMBER.
AND THE WHOLE ABOVE THE IS 
THERE, THE SENATE AND HOUSE, THE
PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT 
AND THE SPEAKER, AND THE JOINT 
CHIEFS 
CHIEFS ARE THERE, THE SUPREME 
COURT, THE CABINET'S THERE.
AND WHEN OBAMA WOULD DO IT, 
THERE WOULD BE THIS, I FEEL THIS
KIND OF IMAGIMAJESTY, AND THEN  
FIRST TIME TRUMP DID IT, I WAS 
LIKE IN THE SECOND ROW IN THE 
MIDDLE.
ON "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE," WE 
USED TO DO SKETCHES ABOUT THE 
SAY THE OF THE UNION.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT.
>> AND I JUST WENT LIKE, I'M 
SEEING RESULT HEARTHERE AND I'M 
GOING LIKE, I DON'T REMEMBER 
THIS IN READ THROUGH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
TRUMP'S THE HOST, AND IT'S -- 
>> Jimmy: IT'S WEIRD, LIKE VINCE
McMAHON SHOULD BE POLLING HIM 
INT
INTO THE ARENA.
>> I HAD A LOT OF SURPRISES 
WATCHING IT.
>> Jimmy: WHAT SURPRISES DID YOU
HAVE?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING IS THAT
DONALD TRUMP IS PRESIDENT.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> Jimmy: THAT IS WEIRD, YEAH.
>> I KIND OF HAVE THAT EVERY DAY
WHEN I WAKE UP.
SO THAT WAS -- 
>> Jimmy: SO WHEN YOU, YOU 
BECAME SENATOR OF MINNESOTA, AND
THIS IS, EVERYBODY'S LIKE, WOW, 
THIS IS A BIG DEAL, ESPECIALLY 
IN THE COMEDY WORLD.
AL FRANKEN IS A SENATOR.
>> I BELIEVE I WAS THE ONLY 
COMEDIAN SENATOR.
>> Jimmy: YES, THE ONLY 
PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN.
>> AND IF YOU LISTEN TO THE 
OTHER -- YES.
>> Jimmy: AND THEN I WOULD 
IMAGINE THAT MADE YOU FEEL 
PRETTY SPECIAL, WHICH IT SHOULD 
HAVE.
AND THEN DONALD TRUMP COMES 
ALONG AND BECOMES PRESIDENT.
THAT HAD TO JUST RUIN IT, RIGHT?
>> IN MANY, MANY WAYS.
[ LAUGHTER ]
NO, I WAS SURPRISED, I PREDICTED
THAT HE'D BE VERY, THAT HE WOULD
TRY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND
BE MAGNANIMOUS.
>> Jimmy: DID YOU THINK THAT WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN?
>> NO.
>> Jimmy: I KIND OF THOUGHT WHEN
HE GOT ELECTED, I CERTAINLY 
DIDN'T SUPPORT HIM OR VOTE FOR 
HIM, BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE HE'LL 
GO WITH THE FLOW AND TRY TO BE 
POPULAR AND DO SOME THINGS THAT 
AREN'T THIS HARD PARTY LINE.
MAYBE HE'LL DO SOME THINGS 
DIFFERENTLY AND CROSS OVER.
>> MAYBE HE'LL BE A PSYCHOPATHIC
LIAR AND THAT KIND OF THING?
>> Jimmy: NO.
WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT PREEXISTING 
CONDITIONS, HE KNOWS THOSE ARE 
TRIGGER WORDS FOR PEOPLE.
SO WHAT HE HASSA DONE, HE SAYS  
WILL PROTECT YOU, PROTECT YOU 
WITH YOUR PREEXISTING 
CONDITIONS, HE'S JUST LYING, 
RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
THIS IS A SUBJECT VERY CLOSE TO 
YOU.
>> Jimmy: AND ITTO YOU.
YOU HELPED WRITE THE BILL.
>> I HELPED WRITE THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> AND HE, HE HAS INSTRUCTED THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO BE ON THIS
LAWSUIT THAT'S GOING TO GO TO 
THE SUPREME COURT, THAT THE 
INTENTION OF IT IS TO GET RID OF
THE ACA AND ALL OF ITS 
PROTECTIONS, AND WHAT HAPPENED 
WITH YOUR SON, AND YOU MADE A 
DIFFERENCE.
YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE 
SENATE.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
AND WHAT THE BILL THAT THEY 
WROTE WOULD NOT HAVE PROTECTED 
PEOPLE, NECESSARILY, WITH 
PREEXISTING CONDITIONS.
IT DEPENDED ON THE STATE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR SON WASN'T 
RESPONSIBLE, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T
SMOKE CIGARETTES IN THE WOMB.
>> Jimmy: NOT CIGARETTES, NO.
WE CAUGHT HIM WITH SOME OTHER 
STUFF.
>> AND THE OTHER THING THAT THIS
WILL DO IS GET, IT WILL RESTORE 
WHAT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES 
USED TO PUT ON ANNUAL CAPS, AND 
ALSO LIFETIME CAPS.
>> Jimmy: AND LIFETIME CAPS.
>> SO I'M SURE HIS CARE WILL 
COST INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> AND YOU WERE VERY RAW, BUT 
YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO 
COULDN'T, WHO WEREN'T IN YOUR 
FINANCIAL POSITION, AND THIS 
WOULD HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE WHAT HE
WANTED TO DO.
AND THIS WILL BE TERRIBLE.
AND THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRATS 
SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE 
HAVING A DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO GET
THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE.
THAT'S A GOOD DEBATE.
BUT REALLY, WHAT WE SHOULD BE 
DOING IS COMPARE, TALK ABOUT 
WHAT TRUMP IS GOING TO DO AND 
WHAT TRUMP IS GOING TO DO IS HE 
IS TRYING TO REPEAL THE 
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND THIS IS 
JUST GOING TO BE TERRIBLE FOR 
AMERICA AND FOR FAMILIES AND 
THAT'S, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT 
DEMOCRATS -- 
>> Jimmy: SHOULD -- 
>> -- SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT, 
BECAUSE THE CANDIDATE THAT WE 
SHOULD MNOMINATE IS THE CANDIDAE
THAT'S GOING TO TAKE IT TO 
DONALD TRUMP.
>> Jimmy: AND WHO IS THAT 
CANDIDATE?
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I THINK WHOEVER IT IS, IS THE
PERSON THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THE 
CASE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.
>> Jimmy: MM-HM.
>> IT'S GREAT TO DIFFERENTIATE 
YOURSELF FROM THE OTHER 
CANDIDATES, BUT I WANT TO SEE IN
THOSE DEBATES PEOPLE TALKING 
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
AND ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND 
ABOUT ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND 
ABOUT THIS TAX CUT THAT THEY 
HAD, WHICH WENT ALMOST ALL TO 
THE TOP AND WHICH BALLOONED THE 
DEFICIT.
>> Jimmy: MM-HM.
>> AND THAT'S WHO WE SHOULD BE 
NOMINATING.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS, 
BUT I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR 
THAT.
I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING ON THAT 
DEBATE STAGE INSTEAD OF SAYING 
WELL, YOU, WE BASICALLY AGREE ON
THINGS, BUT THIS IS WHAT I'M 
STAKING OUT, OR THIS IS WHY I 
SHOULD WIN.
THE REASON, WHAT WE WANT IS THE 
PERSON WHO'S GOING TO GO TOE TO 
TOE WITH DONALD TRUMP AND BEAT 
HIM.
>> Jimmy: LET'S FIGURE OUT WHO 
THAT PERSON IS OVER THE 
COMMERCIAL BREAK AND REVEAL IT 
WHEN WE COME BACK.
AL FRANKEN IS HERE, WE'LL BE 
WE ARE BACK.
PAUL REUBENS IS ON THE WAY.
SENATOR AL FRANKEN IS WITH US.
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ENDS 
TOMORROW.
YOU WERE IN THE SENATE, YOU 
STILL KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN 
THE SENATE.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH 
ANY OF THEM ABOUT, DURING THE 
TRIAL?
>> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: AND?
>> YOU KNOW, I AM A FORMER 
REPUBLICAN, A, COLLEAGUES WHO 
ARE REPUBLICANS STILL.
>> Jimmy: YES.
>> AND I HAVE BEEN TEXTING THEM.
ONCE I TEXTED, YOU KNOW, IT 
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE 
CHAMBER DURING THE WHOLE TRIAL.
AND NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A PHONE.
AND I TEXTED ONE OF MY FORMER 
COLLEAGUES, AND HE TEXTED ME 
RIGHT BACK.
AND HE SAID, I SAID, YOU'RE NOT 
SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PHONE, WELL, 
I DO.
I JUST SAID I COULD GET YOU JAIL
TIME.
>> Jimmy: IS THAT TRUE?
>> YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY 
PUNISHABLE BY PRISON.
>> Jimmy: ISN'T THAT INTERESTING
THAT PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO 
TESTIFY IF THEY'RE SUBPOENAED, 
BUT IF YOU BRING A PHONE INTO 
THE CHAMBER YOU COULD GO TO 
PRISON.
IT SEEMS BACKWARDS.
>> IT'S VERY, VERY ODD.
AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF -- 
>> Jimmy: ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT
NO ONE, MITT ROMNEY, OBVIOUSLY, 
BUT NO ONE -- 
>> SUSAN COLLINS CALLED FOR 
WITNESSES.
>> Jimmy: WITNESSES, YES.
>> BUT LAMAR ALEXANDER SAID WE 
DON'T NEED WITNESSES, WE KNOW 
HE'S GUILTY, BUT IT'S NOT 
IMPEACHABLE.
SO THAT'S THEIR STANCE NOW.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> YOU KNOW, HE, YOU KNOW, WENT,
BRIBED A FOREIGN LEADER.
>> Jimmy: UH-HUH.
>> TO HELP HIM, YOU KNOW, SMEAR 
A POSSIBLE OPPONENT.
>> Jimmy: I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK HE CARES ABOUT 
CORRUPTION IN THE UKRAINE.
I THINK HE'S WORRIED THAT THERE 
MIGHT BE CORRUPTION IN THIS 
COUNTRY THAT HE NEVER HEARD OF.
>> I ASKED MY DEMOCRATIC 
COLLEAGUES TO ASK THE LAWYERS A 
QUESTION, BECAUSE THEY WERE 
ASKING QUESTIONS, WHICH IS THERE
ANY EVIDENCE, THIS IS TO ASK THE
PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS, IS THERE 
ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE PRESIDENT 
HAS EVER CARED ABOUT CORRUPTION,
AND BY THAT, I MEAN BEING 
AGAINST IT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> Jimmy: I THINK THEY ASKED THE
FIRST PART OF THAT.
>> THAT'S WHY THEY MISS ME.
>> Jimmy: GUYS LIKE LINDSEY 
GRAHAM, LINDSEY GRAHAM, WHO, AT 
TIMES IT SEEMED HAD FLASHES OF A
BACKBONE.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH A PERSON 
LIKE THAT?
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS 
SOMETHING ON HIM.
HE IS A COMPULSIVE SHOPLIFTER.
>> Jimmy: LINDSEY GRAHAM, 
REALLY?
WELL, IS THAT RIGHT?
THIS IS A -- 
>> I THINK THEY HAVE FOOTAGE OF 
HIM.
>> Jimmy: SHOPLIFTING?
>> CHINA, IN CHINA.
>> Jimmy: WOW.
HOW ABOUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE 
SOMETHING.
FILLING HIS HUTCH.
YEAH, IT IS DISAPPOINTING, 
THOUGH, ISN'T IT?
>> IT REALLY IS.
I LIKED LINDSEY UNTIL RECENTLY.
>> Jimmy: A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM 
TO BE SAYING THAT.
THEY LIKED HIM UNTIL RECENTLY.
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
>> Jimmy: WHAT ABOUT DONALD 
TRUMP?
HAVE YOU MET DONALD TRUMP?
DO YOU KNOW HIM AT ALL?
>> I MET HIM, I DIDN'T REALLY 
MEET HIM.
THIS IS, I LIVED IN MORNING FOR 
A LONG TIME, AS YOU KNOW.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> AND I WOULD BE IN THE SAME 
ROOM WITH HIM A LOT.
BUT I JUST WOULD NEVER, I DIDN'T
GO LIKE OH, HE'D BE AN 
INTERESTING GUY TO TALK TO.
[ LAUGHTER ]
SO I REMEMBER WHEN THE 
"SOPRANOS" WAS HUGE, AND IT WAS 
FOR A WHILE.
AND THEY HAD A PREMIERE OF THE 
FIRST TWO SHOWS BACK TO BACK AT 
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL AND FILLED
THE PLACE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND DONALD TRUMP WAS SITTING 
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
AND BEFORE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, 
I JUST, I JUST, ON IMPULSE, I 
SAID VERY LOUDLY, THAT IS THE 
WORST COMBOVER I'VE EVER SEEN.
[ LAUGHTER ]
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
AND I KIND OF DID A JACK BENNY 
THING.
THAT IS THE WORST COMBOVER I'VE 
EVER SEEN, AND HE JUST KIND OF 
WENT, LIKE, AND HE SAW IT WAS 
ME, AND HE WENT, THIS ISN'T 
WORTH IT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT'S IT.
>> Jimmy: SO YOU PROBABLY WON'T 
GET A CABINET POSITION IS WHAT 
YOU'RE SAYING.
>> NO, I, WELL, WE WERE THERE AT
THE SAME TIME.
I NEVER WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
I WASN'T REALLY THAT INTERESTED.
>> Jimmy: THIS PODCAST OF YOURS,
WE TAPED A PODCAST TOGETHER LAST
NIGHT.
>> YEAH.
>> Jimmy: YOU HAVE A MIX OF 
PEOPLE FROM THE WORLDS OF 
POLITICS.
WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR 
GUESTS ON THE SHOW?
>> WE HAVE GUESTS LIKE JEFFREY 
TOOBIN, CHRIS ROCK.
MICHELLE OBAMA.
NOT HER, BUT GUESTS LIKE HER.
JO
>> Jimmy: OH, LIKE HER.
>> AND I'M ALSO TOURING.
YOU CAN ASK ME ABOUT THAT.
>> Jimmy: I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
>> I JUST, I'M THE ONLY, 
CURRENTLY, THE ONLY EX-SENATOR 
COMEDIAN ON TOUR.
>> Jimmy: IS THAT RIGHT?
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> SO I'M DOING THEATER.
I'LL BE IN NEW HAVEN AND SOUTH 
ORANGE.
>> Jimmy: WELL, THERE HE IS.
FORMER SENATOR AL FRANKEN.
FIND OUT MORE AT ALFRANKEN.COM.
