Comedian Greg Shapiro talks Trump Tribunals, and his viral "Netherlands Second" video
When Greg Shapiro lent his voice to a late-night Dutch comedy sketch in 2017, he didn't realize he was about to create a global phenomenon. The Chicago-born comedian, best known as the Donald Trump impersonator in the viral "America First, Netherlands Second" video, sat down with Zack Newmark on the latest episode of the Dam Yankee podcast to reflect on his decades-long career. But the conversation quickly turned from comedy to the stark realities of American politics, with the episode now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.
As Shapiro gears up for his ninth solo show, King Me: 250 Years of Donald Trump, he admits that playing the former president has taken a darker turn. "We assume that this, crazy Trump, you know, project 2025, now in 2026, you know, this won't last forever," Shapiro tells Newmark. "And, I think someone said, 'We'll see you at Nuremberg 2.0.' Now, it's never nice when you have to say things like, 'There should be tribunals.'"
That heavy political reality is a far cry from the lighthearted origins of his viral fame. Shapiro reveals that the iconic catchphrase that launched a thousand international copycats wasn't even in the original script.
[Hear how an afterthought created a viral sensation at 10:55]
"So the line, we know it's going to be America first, but can we just say the Netherlands second? That was thrown in on the last moment because we did it on the Saturday morning," he explains. "So that was just an afterthought".
He has since become synonymous with the "America First, Netherlands Second" video for the Zondag met Lubach television show. Shapiro watched the final product in the studio on Sunday night, and by Monday morning, it had exploded into a global phenomenon, spawning copycat versions from Germany to Iran.
But Shapiro's journey to European comedy stardom wasn't without personal sacrifice. Moving to Amsterdam in 1994 to work at Boom Chicago caused an issue with his parents back in the States, who initially struggled to understand his desire to become a working performer who ran off to join the circus. Looking back on the strained family dynamic, Shapiro is candid. "Yeah. I wouldn't recommend it to people necessarily," he says of leaving his family behind.
[Shapiro discusses the family's reaction to the Amsterdam move at 41:00]
It took two decades for his father to finally express his support. Shapiro recalls the emotional moment his dad validated his life choices, saying, "...when you moved away, and I understood at some point, oh, you're not coming back. And I guess I thought, good for you. And, proud. You know, I'm proud of you".
Beyond family matters and political satire, Shapiro also opened up about his retroactive ADHD diagnosis, famously outed by his former colleague Seth Meyers. He shared a fascinating glimpse into how his neurodivergent brain operates on stage and in conversation.
During a Boom Chicago alumni event, Shapiro listened from the wings as Meyers recalled their first meeting in 1997. "And he said, 'Oh, this guy named Greg came to pick us over the airport, and he proceeded to tell us what the first part of everything we needed to know about the city. But then before he could complete it, he would get distracted and talk about something totally different,'" Shapiro tells Newmark.
[Hear how Seth Meyers "outed" Shapiro’s ADHD at 02:43]
"And I was backstage at that point and I was like, 'Oh my God, that's exactly that's how I remember it as well.' But, yeah, welcome to my brain."
"Sometimes if you're talking to me, I will literally say out loud, back pocket," Shapiro says. "That means that's me talking to my own brain. That's an idea from my back pocket. I'll pull it out when I need it, but I don't have to say it right now".
From finding his creative voice in the Midwest to developing an expat comedy career in Amsterdam, Shapiro's story is a masterclass in embracing the unexpected. And still, he does this all while navigating his complex family history, figuring out how to self-edit a hyperactive brain, and grappling with the ethical dilemma of giving Donald Trump more oxygen.
This full episode of Dam Yankee can be seen on YouTube, or listen to the Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms.
Shapiro has many performances lined up in the coming weeks and months. He consistently posts updates and observations on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.