Norman Lear: 'I am worried about Donald Trump'

Sitcom legend Norman Lear took a swipe at Donald Trump on Friday, calling the presumed Republican candidate for president the “middle finger of the American right hand.”

“I’m worried about Donald Trump,” Lear said.

The mind behind classic titles such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons made the comments while on a panel hosted by actress Katey Sagal at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas.

Lear has dinged Trump before, calling him the “middle finger” in past interviews and comparing him to All in the Family patriarch Archie Bunker. “He is Archie Bunker,” Lear said of Trump at an event earlier this month. He added, “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, can we all seriously agree this is bad for America?”

The 93-year-old, who turns 94 in July, was being honored with the Achievement in Television eXcellence award by the ATX festival. The event was billed as an in-depth conversation with Sagal about Lear’s career in TV, the state of the medium today. (Sagal is Lear’s goddaughter, and he introduced her parents.)

In addition to the Trump comments, Lear discussed the Latino version of One Day At a Time Netflix announced in January. “I’m the senior guy [on the show], I’m not the showrunners — Which is a new role for me,” he said. “I’m looking at these young people and wondering if there was any way they would know how scared I am. It’s the reality. I have yet to get over the question, ‘Am I really contributing here?'”

As for what he’s currently watching on television (hence the “state of the medium today” portion of the panel discussion), Lear revealed he finds it difficult to keep up with the wide array of programming available at the moment. “I don’t try to keep up any more, but I still watch South Park,” Lear told Sagal. He also watches (and likes) Family Guy.

Entertainment Weekly is on the scene at ATX in Austin, Texas. Go inside the TV festival with all our coverage, available here.