Comedian Whitney Cummings stated that a joke she made about Donald Trump during an award ceremony has been cut from an upcoming Netflix broadcast. Cummings made the joke at the Kennedy Center on June 28 while honoring Bill Maher with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. She referenced Trump's connections to Jeffrey Epstein, saying, "I actually heard Trump may come tonight but he couldn’t make it. He got caught in sex traffic."
During her podcast, Cummings revealed that the joke was initially included but was later removed from the broadcast, with staff indicating they would lose their jobs if it aired. She acknowledged that the joke had already been leaked and was public knowledge. Cummings expressed her desire to keep the joke in the broadcast but prioritized the job security of the staff. Netflix stated that the Kennedy Center had the contractual right to cut the joke. Cummings also mentioned concerns about potential legal action from Trump, stating, "I felt very strongly I would win" if sued. The ceremony was the first event at the Kennedy Center following a federal judge's ruling against Trump's attempt to rename the venue. Cummings noted that the staff at the Kennedy Center did their jobs well in protecting their boss from criticism.