Four days after David Letterman sat down with Jimmy Kimmel for an interview in Brooklyn, he was receiving the coveted Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Sunday night. During the ceremony, which will air on PBS next month, Kimmel joked that Letterman's 2015 retirement may be to blame for ushering in President Donald Trump. “It’s like you went out for cigarettes one day and left us in the hands of our abusive, orange stepfather,” Kimmel said. Among the other presenters was comedian Steve Martin, who noted, “Dave has always had spot-on comedic instincts. What better time than right now to insist on looking like a Confederate war general?” In his closing remarks to accept the award, Letterman quoted Twain’s definition of patriotism, telling the crowd assembled, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
