A decade-old video clip of the late and beloved comedian and actor, Robin Williams, has exploded across social media platforms. The resurfaced footage shows Williams delivering a humorous critique of Donald Trump during a 2012 stand-up performance. Social media users have collectively watched the clip millions of times, with many calling Williams’ observations “strangely accurate” and “prophetic”.
The timing could not be more relevant. As Trump continues dominating political headlines, Williams’ decade-old jokes feel remarkably prescient. Comments flood platforms praising the late comedian’s insight, with one user noting, “He was one of a kind,” while another added, “His absence is still deeply felt today”.
From Stand-Up Pioneer to Cultural Icon
Williams’ journey to becoming America’s comedic sweetheart began in San Francisco’s comedy clubs during the mid-1970s. His first performance took place at the Holy City Zoo, where he worked his way up from tending bar. Known for his quick wit, fearless social commentary, and energetic delivery, Williams embodies these traits in the viral clip.
His television breakthrough came through “Mork & Mindy,” which ran from 1978 to 1982 and made Williams a household name. The show’s weekly audience of 60 million established Williams as a “superstar” who could transfer his stand-up energy into mainstream entertainment. His career spanned nearly 4 decades, earning him an Academy Award, 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Golden Globe Awards, and 5 Grammy Awards. He tragically passed away in 2014 at the age of 63.
Williams’ film legacy includes iconic performances in “Good Will Hunting,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “Aladdin”. In “Aladdin,” he improvised approximately 30 hours of material, creating dozens of celebrity impressions that animators worked around.
Trump’s Casino Empire Crumbling
The viral clip of Williams during his segment about Trump was initially performed in 2012. The future president’s Atlantic City ventures were already struggling significantly at this time. Trump’s casino business was “a protracted failure” that began well before Atlantic City’s inevitable downfall. Trump had opened Trump Plaza in 1984, followed by Trump’s Castle and the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in 1990. The Taj Mahal, which Trump called the “eighth wonder of the world,” cost over $600 million and filed for bankruptcy within a year.
“The Wizard of Oz on Acid”
In William’s humorous recount of his chaotic visit to Trump’s Atlantic City, Williams compared the city to “The Wizard of Oz on acid“. His description of “junkies and pimps and pizza, oh my!” reinvented the classic film’s famous line while highlighting Atlantic City’s economic decline.
Williams likened Trump to the Wizard of Oz himself. “Donald Trump is the Wizard of Oz. He plays Monopoly with real f**king buildings. This is a scary man,” Williams declared. This comparison suggested Trump, like the Wizard, was all spectacle with little substance behind the curtain.
Williams understood that Trump’s real estate empire relied heavily on borrowed money and aggressive marketing rather than solid business fundamentals. The “scary man” comment proved particularly prescient, as Trump’s business practices repeatedly harmed investors and employees while benefiting himself.
Beauty Pageant Ownership and the Michael Vick Comparison
Williams even mocked Trump’s ownership of beauty pageants, drawing a vicious comparison to Michael Vick, stating, “Isn’t that a bit like Michael Vick owning a series of pet stores?”. This is in reference to a dogfighting scandal Vick was involved in. Vick had pleaded guilty to running a dogfighting ring in 2007, serving 18 months in federal prison.
Trump owned the Miss Universe Organization from 1996 to 2015, controlling Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss Teen USA pageants. Williams’ comparison to Michael Vick owning pet stores highlighted the ethical problems with Trump’s pageant ownership. Multiple contestants later came forth and revealed Trump would enter these dressing rooms of young women, some being minors, while they were dressing. In a 2005 Howard Stern interview, Trump bragged about this behavior, saying he could “get away with things like that” because he owned the pageants.
Comedy Gold from Trump’s Signature Look
Many comedians, not only Williams, have joked about Trump’s distinctive hairstyle or ”toupee”. William’s approach was more than just mockery. In his bit, Williams imagined that Trump was “the body is a maintenance system for the hair,” joking that Trump’s hair was controlling the physical body. Williams continued the bit by imagining nighttime conversations between Trump and his hair, with the hair making strategic decisions while Trump slept.
The Line That Shocked Even Arkansas
Williams’ most scathing and controversial observation directly addressed Trump’s lewd and inappropriate comments about his own daughter Ivanka. Williams found it utterly disturbing when Trump admitted he would date his own daughter if they were not kin. Williams noted the comment was so disturbing that “even people in Arkansas went, ‘That’s f***ing wrong. That’s just way out of place'”.
Williams highlighted that even conservative audiences view Trump’s comments about Ivanka as having crossed boundaries that shocked them. Trump had made multiple inappropriate statements about his daughter over the years, including commenting on her physical attributes and speculating about romantic relationships.
On “The View” in 2006, Trump said, “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her“. In Rolling Stone, he said, “If I weren’t happily married and, ya know, her father…“. Former White House staff reported that Trump made sexual comments about Ivanka that prompted Chief of Staff John Kelly to remind him she was his daughter.
Williams’ Legacy
Williams tragically died by suicide on August 11, 2014, at age 63. Initial reports attributed his death to depression, but autopsy results revealed advanced Lewy body dementia. Lewy body dementia is a neurological condition that causes paranoia, hallucinations, and severe anxiety.
His widow Susan Schneider Williams stated that “it was not depression that killed Robin” but the devastating effects of Lewy body dementia. Williams had struggled with lifelong depression and substance abuse, achieving sobriety in 2006 but entering rehab in 2014 for maintenance.
The Enduring Relevance
The viral success of Williams’ 2012 Trump routine reflects our current political moment’s hunger for authentic voices. Modern entertainers, and especially comedians who once criticised the powerful, have seemingly become a mouthpiece for them. This viral clip of Williams comes at an especially poignant time where Trump is speculated to be part of or was a client of Jeffrey Epstein’s child trafficking ring. Williams combined humor with genuine social justice and commentary. Williams understood that laughter could be a form of resistance against dangerous absurdity. Commenters on the viral clip expressed their nostalgia and remembrance of William, with many users mentioning how he is dearly missed.
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