Trump vs. Bernie: Live from Brooklyn

Anthony Atamanuik’s Donald Trump is less a standard impression than a full psychic possession, full of erratic hand motions, wandering tangents, and petty grudges. Opposite him, James Adomian plays Bernie Sanders as an exasperated socialist shouting about oligarchy and ironic corporate excess.

When the debate turns to climate change, Adomian’s Sanders describes an apocalypse where corporate pollution sends polar bears drinking Coca-Cola into the sea, only for Atamanuik’s Trump to wave off the issue because the weather outside feels pleasant. The exchange captures the peculiar energy of the 2016 race by leaning into the absurdity of both personas without sanding down the details.

The act began as an improv showcase at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York in late 2015, capitalizing on early primary noise. When video clips gained traction online, the pair expanded the concept into a 40-city national tour staged as an unsanctioned debate between candidates from opposing parties.

Recorded during the New York leg of the tour and released by Comedy Dynamics in July 2016, the 76-minute album features political journalist Howard Fineman attempting to keep order as moderator. Topics include immigration, gun control, healthcare, and economic policy, though Fineman rarely manages to keep either man within his time limit.

The album debuted at number five on the Billboard comedy chart, arriving the same summer the duo were named among Variety’s comics to watch. For Atamanuik, the tour established his portrayal of Trump on a national stage, directly setting up his Comedy Central series The President Show the following year.