Nick Offerman channeled the spirit of his beloved “Parks and Recreation” character Ron Swanson during a recent visit to “The Daily Show,” where the actor scolded Donald Trump for cutting $267 million in funding for America’s national parks.
“I have several undeniable loves in my life. The oaky notes of a barrel-aged whiskey, an old-fashioned plumb bob dangling over a red cedar plank, my blushing bride’s hoo-ha, and of course, America’s national parks,” Offerman said to cheers from the audience while explaining that budget cuts have gotten so bad at national parks that scientists are now helping to clean toilets. “This is a huge mistake. No scientist has the strength to clean the skid marks of a man who’s been eating beans and campfire hot dogs for the past three days! They’re weak.”
On a more serious note, Offerman called out Trump for his new strategy when it comes to national parks. The budget is being cut $267 million, but the plan is to increase admission in order to bring in $90 million to the Department of Interior’s budget.
“Let me get this straight, Mr. President,” Offerman said. “You cut $267 million to get back $90 million. Now, I’m no mathematician, but I believe that’s called shitting the bed. But then again, I didn’t go to Wharton Business College.”
Offerman threw to a news report which explained how national parks brought in $55 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, plus employed 415,000 people. The “Parks and Recreation” favorite also explained how national parks are an easy vacation for families.
“That is the true miracle of our national parks,” Offerman said. “It is an affordable vacation that everyone can take inside our own borders, whether you’re traveling with your family or abandoning your constituents during a crisis.”
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“Because let’s face it, America without its national parks is like McDonald’s without the hamburgers,” he concluded. “You can still go there, I guess, but at that point it’s kind of just a bathroom.”
Offerman has been more vocal in recent weeks about his disdain for Trump. Speaking to IndieWire earlier this month, the actor said “dumb people insist that Ron Swanson would’ve voted for Trump.”
“[Ron] would think [Trump] is an absolute idiot,” Offerman explained. “He would also despise him because he’s disrespectful to women and many others. And that’s just an example of all the people and value sets that Ron would despise, because Ron is a good person.”
Watch Offerman’s full appearance on “The Daily Show” in the video below.
From Variety US