Senator Al Franken graduated from Harvard College. Before running for office, he spent 37 years as a comedy writer, author, and radio talk show host, and has taken part in seven USO tours, visiting our troops overseas in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Franken was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 and re-elected (by a much larger margin) in 2014. His new book is Al Franken, Giant of the Senate.From the transcript of Franken's interview with The New Yorker's David Remnick:
REMNICK: What’s your understanding of Russia and the Trump Administration, broadly defined? It seems to me that it may not be that the Trump Administration or Trump officials overtly colluded, in a kind of spy-movie, apocalyptic sort of way, but they opened themselves up—Trump, in particular, in his business dealings over the years—to compromise in a way that now affects policy. It’s not just a matter of embarrassment of the Trump Administration, but policy—how he behaves vis-à-vis foreign policy.--Marshal Zeringue
FRANKEN: Well, ironically, of course, he’s signing the sanctions—because he has to, or he’d be overridden—against the Russians. You know, we will see. I have faith that Mueller will get to the bottom of this. I think he’s tough, smart. I think he’s hired great people. He’s hired people to look at those financial dealings. I mean, it’s clear that Donald [Trump], Jr., said, in 2008, that a disproportionate amount of money in their operation was coming from Russia. I mean, there’s no question. And the Russians have a way of compromising people so they’ve got them. I think we will find out that aspect of it, I think, through Mueller. And that’s why I think it becomes a constitutional crisis if Trump fires him. If he fires him, it will be without cause, and that will create a crisis.
REMNICK: Clearly, Donald Trump, on some level, has talent, performative talent, at the microphone. He appeals to people in a way that reaches their gut and their funny bone, even, whether you like it or not. And as somebody who’s spent so much time in comedy, and in front of the camera, and writing for “Saturday Night Live,” does he remind you of anybody? Is he an Andrew Dice Clay figure? How would you assess his comedic talent?
FRANKEN: I...[read on]