As Trump’s troubles grow, so does impersonator’s business
He has a “yuge” following.
Trump impersonator Bob DiBuono is getting more gigs now that the former president is out of office — and claims business has doubled since he announced his 2024 run.
“People miss him and people want him back so badly that when he wasn’t in the public eye, it was like, ‘Get Bob DiBuono to show up,’” the standup comedian told The Post.
The Clifton, New Jersey, resident gets hired for corporate events, private parties, and Republican fundraisers — and said he does as many as three a week.
“I could be at a Hasidic event in Brooklyn one night and then I’m in Long Island the next night for a bunch of blue-collar guys that love him,” DiBuono, 47, said.
“Ninety-five percent of the people that hire me are Republican and they really want to celebrate Trump.”
The most he ever made for an appearance was $30,000 — when he was flown out to Florence, Italy, by an American doctor to perform for his wife’s birthday, along with singer Adam Lambert and an Elvis impersonator.
The comic started working on his Trump impression in 2015 when he was a novice pol running for president, and it took four months to perfect it.
“I’ve watched every interview, every rally,” he recalled. “It took me a while because I couldn’t do it. . . .It was too Brooklyn-y and tough guy.”
He’s since been on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Comedy Central.” During a Presidents’ Day appearance on “The View” in 2017, comedian Darrell Hammond, who plays Trump on “SNL,” complimented his work. “He goes, ‘You actually think like him.’”
In 2017, he was asked to tour with rappers Kendrick Lamar and YG in 18 cities.
“Before I walked on stage at one of the last shows of the tour, I’d had people saying, ‘Yo, you’re gonna catch a bullet.’” he recalled. “They were angry.”
It’s not easy playing Trump — and he has to deal with the backlash.
“People walk out, people give me the finger … a woman crying once,” he explained.
“I’m sitting there with a wig on and makeup — I’m not him — and she was crying and calling me a rapist.”
DiBuono has taken his impression to the movie screen, just completing the comedy “Can’t Let It Go!” which is set in New York the day before the 2016 election.
He’s also on Cameo — where he charges $165 per Trump video — and gets 10 requests weekly.
“At one point during COVID, I was doing 30 to 50 a week,” he said.
One memorable event he performed at was Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s engagement party in 2018.
“I got a call … they were like, ‘You’re going to show up as Trump because Joe hates Trump. They used to be friends and now they hate each other,’” he explained.
The guest list included Bill de Blasio, Chuck Schumer, Al Sharpton, Donny Deutsch, Martha Stewart, and John Kerry.
“The only two people in the room laughing were Al Sharpton and Donny Deutsch,” he said.
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