Ventriloquist Terry Fator says he was asked to ditch President Trump puppet because of 'rough' political climate
A President Donald Trump puppet won’t be making an appearance on the Las Vegas Strip this holiday season.
Though comic ventriloquist and impressionist Terry Fator has included the Trump puppet, which has a pop-up hairpiece, into his comedy show at the Terry Fator Theater for the last few years, he claims his bosses at the Mirage Hotel & Casino came to him and asked that he remove the character.
“It was kind of one of those things where the Mirage came to me, and they have never told me what to do, ever. But they asked politely, and when they ask politely, I do it,” Fator told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after Friday’s show. “We have a good relationship. It’s a give and take. I’m not a diva. I’m not going to go off and say, ‘Screw you’ when they ask me to do something.”
According to Fator, the Mirage’s request to remove the Trump puppet was based on the current “rough” political climate.
“They said, ‘This political season is very, very, very rough and it’s going to get nastier,” Fator told the Review-Journal. “Would you mind?’ I said, ‘Fine, I’ll do it.’”
While there won’t be a cameo by Trump in Fator’s holiday show, “A Very Terry Christmas 2, The Sequel,” or his non-holiday program, the ventriloquist says a mini-POTUS will appear in a series of social media posts on Instagram and YouTube alongside a puppet version of presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. The duo will duke it out in a series of mock debates.
Fator is known for unveiling a new puppet at his holiday showcase every year. This year’s new guest will be Frank Sinatra, who will join a bevy of fellow celebrity puppets including Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, and Justin Bieber.
Yahoo reached out to representatives at the Mirage Hotel & Casino, but did not receive a reply at the time of publication.
Fator has worked at the Mirage for 11 years, and rose to fame as the winner of America’s Got Talent.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle’s newsletter.
