Overview

• Carvey said he knew Biden was “compromised mentally” and called mocking his decline a “delicate thing” in the comedy world
• He aimed to make the impression both funny and recognizable by omitting harsher lines he felt crossed a line
• Fellow SNL alum David Spade noted that a sitting president is fairer game for satire than an elderly private citizen
• In late June Carvey publicly discussed the ethical tension of satirizing a vulnerable leader and described it as a real challenge
• He revealed that Biden’s staff praised his work and extended a lunch invitation that ultimately never materialized