David Letterman and President Obama Joke About the Comedian’s Whitmanesque Beard.
Even President Obama had something to say about David Letterman’s beard.
David Letterman took a break from watching his beard grow — ah, the joys of retirement — to deliver a few laughs at a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the USO, which was held Thursday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and was attended by President Obama.
Of course, the former Late Show host, 69, made his burly beard — which has become an Internet sensation and even has its own Twitter account — a punch line during his brief bit, which followed that of another retired late-night TV host, Jon Stewart. After joking about being “happy to be out of the house,” Letterman, who ended his TV run last year, told the story of a funny encounter he had on his way to the event.
“A fellow came up to me before the show, and he said, ‘We love what you do, we love your writing, we love what you mean to the country, we love your poetry,’ ” said Letterman. “And I said, ‘Who do you think I am?’ And he said, ‘Walt Whitman.’ ”
While the audience of service members erupted in laughter, the president — who was accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Jill Biden — quipped, “I can see that, Dave.”
During his time at the mic, Letterman also voiced his support for Obama and Biden, saying, “Sometimes the mind plays tricks on a person, especially when you get to be my age. I was listening to the president speak, I was listening to the vice president speak, and for a split second my mind said to me: ‘Oh, that’s nice. They’re running again.’ ” The funnyman, who looked TV ready in one of his signature suits, also made a joke about Stewart’s casual attire, saying, “I’m guessing trouble with the luggage?”
Letterman — who has participated in several USO tours, which he described as “a life-changing experience” — then introduced a birthday cake to mark the organization’s milestone anniversary. Obama even got the comedian, who is known for his cranky persona, to lead the group in a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” It wasn’t the easiest on the ears, prompting the commander in chief to joke about how clearly this was an event with comedians — not singers.
The comedy show that followed Stewart’s and Letterman’s opening shticks was closed to the press and featured performances from Judd Apatow and Kristen Schaal, among others. As Letterman concluded his bit, he said, “You are in store tonight for what will be … the best show in the United States tonight. Except maybe Hamilton.”
