Don’t expect Kevin Nealon to march with the (admittedly dissipating) mob of people carrying pitchforks and torches over the now-unemployed Al Franken.
The “SNL” alum and “Man With a Plan” star told TheWrap that while his former sketch-comedy colleague’s behavior towards women was “juvenile,” the punishment didn’t fit the crime when he became “a sacrificial lamb to the Democratic Party.”
“I’ve known Al since 1986, since when I first got on ‘SNL,’” Nealon told us on Monday. “And I think he was definitely an effective senator for Minnesota. A great, strong senator — and he was great in Congress. And he really loved his job and he worked hard for the people of Minnesota.”
While Nealon expressed sympathy toward his former cast mate, he also acknowledged Franken’s wrongdoing.
“But, you know what? What he did was juvenile,” he continued. “Of course it was juvenile. He’s a comic at heart. That doesn’t make it right, but in no way does it compare to what Roy Moore and Donald Trump have done [per] some of the allegations.”
Nealon added: “Unfortunately, Al became a sacrificial lamb to the Democratic Party and he had to step down… I can’t imagine what he’s going through now — the pain. I know how much he loved doing what he did and how great he was at it, and the career that was a possibility for him.”
Readers can catch Nealon on “Man With a Plan,” which airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.