Fmr. Sen. Al Franken Discusses Comedy Tour, Cancel Culture 4 Years Following Resignation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former U.S. Senator Al Franken joined "CBS Mornings" Tuesday and discussed his return to comedy as well as his reaction to some former Senate colleagues who now say they regret calling for his resignation.
It's been four years since Franken stepped down from the Senate in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which came during the height of the #MeToo movement. Franken has since said that he regrets resigning without a Senate ethics investigation.
On CBS This Morning, Franken responded to some former colleagues, nine of them, who have said they regret calling for his investigation.
"I'm a forgiving person, I'm grateful. You don't usually hear nine former senators saying they were wrong about something," Franken said. "They all know I deserved due process and didn't get it. When I've met them, they've all been very apologetic."
On whether or not he was "canceled," Franken said he doesn't know what to call it, but it was "just a point in time where everything came together."
"I think the nine (senators) have expressed exactly what I feel is that what you should do, especially in the United States Senate, you should have an ethics investigation. That's what I asked for and didn't get."
As for if he'd return to politics, Franken said he's not giving it active thought, but he's "open to it."
For now, Franken -- who won multiple Emmys writing for "Saturday Night Live" -- is focusing on comedy and enjoying that. His tour is called "Al Franken: The Only Former Senator On Tour Tour."
"I love touring," Franken said. "I love making audiences laugh … This is me going back to my roots."
Franken was elected as a senator representing Minnesota in 2009 after beating Norm Coleman. He was reelected to a second term in 2014.
