By Michael Kelman Portney

In comedy, sometimes the most memorable moments aren’t built on elaborate setups or punchlines, but rather on subtle exaggerations that take something simple and blow it up just enough to highlight its absurdity. Exaggeration is often the key to every joke—it stretches reality just enough to give us a new way of seeing, and it taps into our universal desire to laugh at the extremes. No one captures this principle better than Nick Kroll in his appearance as himself on Jiminy Glick, where he offers his take on Donald Trump with a grand pause and a perfectly timed, “I don’t know if I trust him.”

It’s a simple joke, almost underwhelming on paper. But in that pause, in the delivery, Kroll embodies the essence of exaggeration and creates a moment that’s rich with meaning, humor, and irony—all while saying very little.

Exaggeration: Comedy’s Secret Ingredient

Exaggeration is at the heart of every good joke. Whether it’s a punchline that pushes the boundaries of reason or a facial expression taken to ridiculous extremes, exaggeration gives humor its punch. Comedy thrives on taking things we know to be true and inflating them until they’re hilariously unrecognizable. This technique doesn’t require a lot of words or complex structure; often, it’s about timing, delivery, and amplifying just the right element to make a simple truth feel larger than life.

Exaggeration works because it taps into our instinct to laugh at life’s inconsistencies. We recognize the gap between reality and the inflated version, and in that gap lies the joke. Nick Kroll’s “I don’t know if I trust him” perfectly exemplifies this—he takes a familiar idea (a hesitant response to a controversial figure) and elevates it into an exaggerated, comedic statement with a calculated pause and a delivery that leaves space for the audience to connect the dots.

The Art of Saying Very Little

In this moment, Kroll doesn’t launch into a detailed critique of Trump or list reasons for distrust. Instead, he exaggerates his reaction with a long pause and a half-serious delivery that’s loaded with implication. By saying so little, Kroll turns a simple line into a profound moment of comedy. The statement is funny not because of what he says, but because of how he says it. The brief hesitation before “I don’t know if I trust him” allows the audience to project their own interpretations, giving the joke layers without the need for a lengthy setup or backstory.

This understated approach to exaggeration is powerful because it respects the audience’s intelligence. The humor isn’t spoon-fed; it’s hinted at, leaving just enough space for viewers to engage and find their own reasons to laugh. In a world where comedy often relies on punchy one-liners and detailed satire, Kroll’s choice to say very little while implying so much stands out as a brilliant example of subtle exaggeration.

The Grand Pause: Why Timing is Everything

Exaggeration isn’t just about what you say; it’s about how and when you say it. Timing is the unspoken backbone of every joke, and Kroll’s pause before delivering the line adds weight, suspense, and comedic irony. It’s the kind of exaggerated silence that leaves the audience leaning in, waiting to see where he’ll go, only for him to deliver the simple, unexpected line.

The grand pause amplifies the impact, as it mimics the kind of internal reflection that people might go through when confronted with a question they don’t want to answer directly. It’s an exaggerated hesitation that makes the line resonate, adding a layer of mock seriousness to an otherwise casual statement. In a way, Kroll’s timing is the exaggeration, taking an ordinary statement and using timing to elevate it to comedic brilliance.

The Parody of Public Opinion

Part of what makes Kroll’s line so funny is how it satirizes the ambiguity in public discourse. “I don’t know if I trust him” is the kind of lukewarm, hesitant phrase you might hear from someone trying to avoid giving a strong opinion. It’s a statement that says very little but feels loaded with implications. By exaggerating this kind of half-hearted response, Kroll captures the essence of political satire—showing how people often hint at a judgment without fully committing to it.

This kind of humor is more relevant than ever in an age when people are often wary of saying what they really think. Kroll’s line pokes fun at the performative hesitation that characterizes so much of public opinion today, and his exaggerated delivery brings the irony of that hesitation into sharp focus.

Why Exaggeration Resonates

Ultimately, Kroll’s delivery in that moment is a reminder of why exaggeration resonates so deeply in comedy. By pushing just one element—the pause, the timing, the delivery—he transforms a simple statement into something profound and hilarious. The humor isn’t in the line itself but in how he lets it sit, letting the audience feel the gap between what’s said and what’s implied.

Exaggeration works because it highlights the contradictions we see in life, whether it’s in public figures, social norms, or even our own thoughts. Kroll’s joke captures a truth that’s absurd yet relatable, making us laugh not just at Trump, but at the nature of public opinion, the way we tiptoe around the truth, and the absurdity of our own reservations.

Conclusion: The Genius of Less is More

In Nick Kroll’s “I don’t know if I trust him,” we see the genius of exaggeration in its purest form. With minimal words and a perfectly timed pause, he embodies the essence of comedy—taking a simple truth and inflating it just enough to let us laugh at the underlying absurdity. This moment serves as a testament to the power of saying very little while implying so much, and it reminds us that sometimes, exaggeration doesn’t require excess. It just requires the right pause, a little irony, and the confidence to let the joke breathe.

In a world where everything can feel exaggerated to the point of absurdity, Kroll’s line is a masterclass in how the best jokes sometimes come from the smallest stretches. And perhaps, in that brief moment of hesitation, he shows us that comedy doesn’t just make us laugh—it lets us see reality a little more clearly, through the lens of exaggeration.