Much like the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for president, Judah Friedlander's onstage persona, The World Champion, believes in building a wall.

The “30 Rock” alum does, however, envision it a little differently.

“I believe we should build a wall. Around Donald Trump,” he said at a recent show in New York. “Put mirrors inside. That way he'll be happy, and I think when Mexico hears about this, they'll be like, ‘You know what? We'd like to pay for this. We think this is a solid investment.'”

Friedlander, a Gaithersburg native, initially created The World Champion to rebuke and reflect what he viewed as a national trend toward narcissism and American exceptionalism. Self-obsessed, The World Champion constantly looked inward and bragged about his personal exploits. As Friedlander has grown as a comedian, he has veered more broadly, toward critiquing political policy and politicians.

“I actually started doing a lot more material about American domestic and foreign policy when I started doing shows in Europe,” said Friedlander, who performs tonight at the Creative Alliance. “When you get some distance from yourself, you can see yourself better.”

He stages a mock town hall, where his persona answers questions posed by the audience. His sharp, dark and caustic brand of comedy is delivered in monotone. The absence of a judgmental attitude and the presence of wit mean the act doesn't slide into preaching and you don't feel like you're being told off from a soapbox. Instead, it can feel like spending time with quirky friends who are also convinced they're superheroes.

A thread that runs through the current incarnation of The World Champion is the belief that America is the greatest place on earth, while he sarcastically references issues such as systemic racism, mass incarceration and gun ownership. Given how sensitive and contentious these topics can be, some comedians might avoid this territory, but Friedlander said he enjoys finding humor in dark, sensitive themes that may make people uneasy.

“I really like going into areas where there's tension already and it's getting released,” he said. “Talking about it makes people uncomfortable, but talking about it is good.”

With the ongoing 2016 presidential campaign, Friedlander has an abundance of material to exploit. So far, he hasn't been impressed with what he views as the broadcast news approach to covering the presidential primaries. “They cover news like sporting events. They have a favorite; it's Trump. Trump makes them more money,” he said.

So rather than focus on the horse-race element of the election, Friedlander zooms out, unpacks policy decisions and uses satire to critique them. He said he chooses not to go for the easy and obvious punch line.

Currently on tour, he said he likes visiting Baltimore and is excited to perform in the city. Because he is a huge soccer fan, many of his childhood soccer memories are deeply associated with the Baltimore Blast. “As a kid I'd go to the Baltimore Blast all time. They had a phenomenal [soccer] team, they still do,” he said.

Friedlander says he's not a fan of the business side of the comedy scene, but he loves the actual work. He said the great thing about stand-up comedy is you know instantly whether a joke works. Additionally there's the benefit of having a different audience every night, which means each show is unique — even if it's the same material. Overall, he's just happy that stand-up comedy still exists as an art form.

“It's a good sign people like to go out and have human contact. Think about society and technology: Standup is just a light, mic and a person on stage. It's a miracle it still exists,” he said.

Though comedy is a notoriously difficult industry to build a career in, Friedlander has kept going since he first started as a 19-year-old. While he said he doesn't believe there's one path to longevity, to him the formula is pretty simple. Any aspiring comics should make writing their material and getting on stage their main priorities. “It's all about the art of it and doing it. Put together three minutes; find an open mic. There are plenty in Baltimore,” he said.

cmbakwe@baltsun.com