President Donald Trump introduced comedian Theo Von for a surprise appearance in front of U.S. troops in Qatar on Thursday.
Trump was in the region signing a $96 billion deal between Qatar Airways and Boeing, which, according to Time, involves 210 jets being bought by Qatar’s state-owned airline.
‘I can just speak freely, whether you agree or not. But I don’t have that right if people don’t stand up for it’
At Al Udeid Air Base, Trump told an audience full of armed forces members about a conversation he had with his son Barron, who told him, “Dad … you gotta do an interview with a guy named Theo Von.”
Trump continued, “I said, ‘Who the hell is Theo Von?'”
Immediately after, Trump surprised the audience and revealed that the comedian was in the audience, eager to come on stage. “Where is Theo? He’s around here someplace.”
President Donald Trump dances on stage at the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Von took the stage, an unorthodox one that included bulletproof glass, and immediately received raucous applause.
“This was definitely court-ordered,” Von told the crowd, explaining that he was unsure how he got there.
What followed was a mostly funny, off-the-cuff riff from Von that was, at times, shockingly edgy and unexpected, especially given the audience.
Von’s topics included the following:
Where the next 9/11 should happen.Doing cocaine off of a baby’s back.Joe Biden smelling children.
Given his topics, one might think Von’s material evoked shock and awe from the audience, but most of the jokes — especially those about Biden — drew laughter from U.S. servicemen.
Von was extremely appreciative of his reception and assured troops he would “do better next time” because, by his own admission, he did not have much material for a Qatari audience.
At the same time, the comedian was extremely thankful that he could perform on stage with any material he wanted.
“My job is, I can just say what I want,” Von said, closing the show. “I can just speak freely, whether you agree or not. But I don’t have that right if people don’t stand up for it.”
Von continued, “I wouldn’t be able to come here and do my job that well today if you guys weren’t here sacrificing your time and commitment.”
“Thank you for freedom of speech; I’ll try to use it a bit better next time,” he finished.
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The comedian was praised online after he was seen taken dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of photos with American troops.
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Align, Politics, Theo von, Qatar, Trump, Entertainment