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Making Obama funny: How David Litt wrote jokes for the U.S. president

Obama's former speechwriter, David Litt, talks about his memoir Thanks, Obama — My Hopey, Changey White House Years.
(Courtesy of David Litt)

NBC called Obama the "comedian in chief," and the Washington Post tagged him "the first alt-comedy president." 

If you're wondering who was behind President Obama's humour, David Litt had a hand in it.

Litt is now the head writer for comedy video website Funny or Die, but before that, he was a senior presidential speechwriter known as the president's comic muse. 

In his new memoir, Thanks, Obama — My Hopey, Changey White House Years, Litt pulls back the curtain on writing speeches for the former president and reveals what went into some of those jokes.

— Produced by Ben Edwards