Bill Clinton fetes Alec Baldwin with Donald Trump-referencing tribute

Patrick Ryan

USA TODAY

Alec Baldwin, left, and and former president Bill Clinton attend Spike TV's 'One Night Only: Alec Baldwin' at the Apollo Theater on Sunday, night in New York.

NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin got a surprise salute from none other than Bill Clinton Sunday night.

The former president took the stage at the Apollo Theater for Spike TV's star-studded tribute One Night Only: Alec Baldwin, airing July 9 (9 ET/PT), where actors and comedians including Tracy Morgan, Robert De Niro, Jane Krakowski, Julianne Moore and Jack McBrayer roasted The Boss Baby star.

"I wouldn't know an alternative fact if it hit me in the face," Clinton said, in one of his few apparent digs at the Trump administration. "But I do know this: I first met Alec Baldwin more than 20 years ago. Even before that, I was a huge fan and admirer of his work in the movies and tonight we've been reminded of the astonishing range of his career, with highlights that include his Tony-nominated performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, his Oscar-nominated portrayal in The Cooler, his monologue in Glengarry Glen Ross, and his great roles on 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live.

"But what I love most is his story," Clinton continued. "A great American story about a boy growing up in an Irish-Catholic family. ... (Baldwin told me), 'We didn't have a lot of money, but (my parents) taught me that every person has an obligation to be a good and caring citizen.' I never forgot it.

"He ended up going to George Washington University, ran for student-body president and came back home to New York, where he followed the then-classic path, from politics to the soap operas," Clinton said, gesturing to Baldwin. "Now we know it works the other way around. You need to think about running again — you'll probably win the next time."

Clinton then commended the actor's efforts with The Hilaria & Alec Baldwin Foundation, which supports artists and the arts.

"I think I've figured out what has made him both a great actor and a great person: He has a genuine interest in other people," Clinton concluded. "When you look at the sweep of his career, you see a man with enormous talent and a heart just as big."