FACE FOR RADIO

Al Franken to Debut Sirius Radio Show, First Public Return Since Misconduct Allegations

“I miss the Senate a lot but I’m not there so I want to be a voice,” Franken said of the new show.

Al Franken, the former Democratic senator from Minnesota, is re-emerging into the public sphere on Saturday for the first time since he reluctantly resigned from Congress in 2017 over sexual-misconduct allegations. Franken is making his comeback with a weekly radio show on SiriusXM that will fall in line with a podcast he now hosts. The new show, which will air Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET on the Sirius Progress channel, will feature one-hour interviews with guests from politics, entertainment, and everything in between. Franken’s first guest is comedian Chris Rock, followed by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and comedian Patton Oswalt.

“I miss the Senate a lot but I’m not there so I want to be a voice,” Franken said of the new show. Since stepping down, eight current and former senators have admitted that they regret pushing Franken out before a Senate Ethics Committee investigation was conducted. When asked whether he thinks the public will accept his return, Franken said, “A lot of that will depend on me and whether folks think what I’m saying is important and fun at the same time.”