Kelsey Grammer's Pro-Trump BBC Interview Drama, Explained

Donald Trump, once again, proves to attract drama — not just to himself, but even to his supporters. On December 4, 2023, BBC host Justin Webb had Kelsey Grammer on the show to promote the reboot of his 1993 sitcom "Frasier." However, the subject matters didn't stay light for long as Webb soon strayed off comedy and into politics. 

The interviewer questioned Grammer about Donald Trump, who made history as the first president to be arrested. "You mentioned Roseanne early on who had a great comeback but also was a Trump supporter. You were, at least you were, a Trump supporter. I'm fascinated to know if you still are?" Webb asked (via Entertainment Weekly). In response, Grammer seemed quite curt: "I am, and I'll let that be the end of it." Shortly after this response, the interview ended abruptly. 

Considering Trump's lack of popularity among Hollywood stars, the actor's decision to keep his reply short is understandable. Several Hollywood figures, including Antonio Sabato Jr., Roseanne Barr, and Jodie Comer, faced "cancel culture" for Trump-related offenses. However, the major twist of Kelsey Grammer's interview came after it had ended when Webb revealed that it wasn't Grammer who'd pulled the plug on the interview.

According to Justin Webb, the Paramount Plus PR team abruptly cut the interview short. He added that Kelsey Grammer had initially been "perfectly happy" to talk about his support for Trump before the interruption. ""The Paramount+ PR people, less happy that he talked about it at some length," Webb said.

News about Kelsey Grammer's involvement with Paramount Plus began in 2019 when Today reported that a "Frasier" reboot was underway and would be produced by CBS Studios and Grammnet Productions "exclusively for Paramount Plus." Since the streaming channel has such high stakes in "Frasier's" success, it's no surprise that the PR team ended the interview before Grammer could make any Roseanne-Barr-like mistakes. 

"Fraiser" initially ended after an 11-year run marked by dozens of Emmy nominations and 37 wins. However, the show wrapped up in 2004 due to high production costs (per People). With the new reboot, Paramount Plus seems to be taking extra care to safeguard its investment, omitting any remotely offensive humor. Several critics on Rotten Tomatoes have described it as "safe," but there is no doubt that it is gaining popularity again as it attracted an average of 2.23 million viewers for the reboot's premiere, according to The Wrap.

Kelsey Grammer's BBC interview with Justin Webb is not the first time the actor has spoken about his support for Trump. In February 2019, he told Radio 4 that while Trump was a "brat," he didn't have problems with the then-president's policies (via Independent). Grammer also stated that he'd voted for Trump. "They (liberals) are used to being the brats. They just never had anybody come back at them in the same way," he said.

In 2019, USA Today reported that Grammer admitted that Trump was going against the grain but added that it was a positive step. "I don't think Washington did us any favors for the last 50, 60 years," he said.

Expectedly, the actor's political choices have been subject to backlash. Shortly after his 2019 interview, an X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: "I remember listening to Kelsey Grammer on Desert Island Discs back in 2017 and finding out that he's a Trump supporter. Frasier's never been the same since." Although the solid proof that Kelsey Grammer is a feminist has won him tons of fans, his association with Donald Trump clearly threatens his positive track record. Given that it's almost impossible for his politics and beliefs to be separated from his portrayal in "Frasier," we can expect more restrictive interviews from Grammer, courtesy of Paramount Plus.