Mike Schur Explained How ‘The Good Place’ Has Avoided Talking About Donald Trump

NBC

The Good Place is coming to an end after four seasons, the final of which has yet to air. But even in medias res, the show is a fascinating example of how a comedy can bend the concept of a sitcom itself while addressing some very heavy subject material in a way that still registers as hilarious to viewers.

It has largely done this by avoiding extremely current events, lest it becomes another Murphy Brown that’s basically unrecognizable in syndication. While the show has made a note to handle the fact that, under Jason’s favorite player Blake Bortles, his beloved (and very real) Jacksonville Jaguars actually got good for a season and made the playoffs — most of the reality of the real world has been left behind. Still, it’s these occasional touches into reality, though well after the fact, that’s grounded what otherwise would be a very heady show.

But one thing the show has largely avoided is any talk about the current president in reality: Donald Trump. This is, according to showrunner Mike Schur, an entirely intentional decision. Because while Schur talks about Trump and his presidency on Twitter basically every day, the writers room for The Good Place had a policy that limited any talk about Trump.