Overview

• Schmidt gave the remarks in a Deutsche Presse-Agentur interview in Cologne published on September 7 by German outlets including RP Online and Der Spiegel.
• He says Trump generates his own lines without writers, citing the nickname "Little Rocket Man" as an example.
• He recalls Trump as a strong guest on David Letterman's show decades ago, arguing that this stagecraft makes mockery harder for comedians.
• He points to a visual gag in the current White House seating — JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, and Marco Rubio on a couch with a European on a small chair — as revealing comic material.
• He says moral judgments about Trump are not his focus and notes he voiced similar admiration for Trump's media skills in a 2023 APA interview.