Variety: Stephen Colbert’s Push Into Politics May Have Hurt the Late-Night Format

Here's some news that might shock you. It turns out that turning late-night entertainment programs into soapboxes for their hosts' leftist political views may have damaged the format. We learned this from Variety, which reports that Stephen Colbert's push into politics might have ultimately hurt late-night TV.

Has #StephenColbert’s push into politics hurt the late-night format?

Late-night was never supposed to play to a particular type of audience: #JohnnyCarson made fun of politicians, but mostly their public goofs, not their policies. #JayLeno rarely became political. And… pic.twitter.com/QwJ7AJR7mm
— Variety (@Variety) May 20, 2026

The post continues:

… #DavidLetterman feuded with politicians but not over what they did in Washington.
In 2026, late-night shows are a wholly different creation.
“These shows were built to be vaudeville in the box in your living room,” says professor Dannagal Young, who studies political satire and the media preferences of liberals and conservatives. “They were a place to watch jugglers and clowns and funny people doing impressions. They were not made for this.”

They were made for stand-up comedians and stupid pet tricks.

Brian Steinberg reports:

On Election Night, Colbert and crew mounted a live special for the Showtime cable network, and as more electoral votes were called for Donald Trump, cementing a victory that set many Americans on edge, groans from the live crowd became more intense. Suddenly, Colbert’s comedy show was no laughing matter.
“It feels like an asteroid has smacked into our democracy,” one guest said. “Get your abortions now.”
“Outside of the Civil War, World War II and including 9/11 this may be the most cataclysmic event our country has seen,” said another.
Realizing that late-night sketches would no longer be appreciated, Colbert and team winged it — no rundowns, no scripts. In doing so, Colbert told this reporter during an interview in 2017, he realized he had hit on a new “Late Show” foundation. “The last 10 minutes of that election show were honest. They were honest, and that was a turning point for us,” he said at the time. “After that, we knew I could never do this show without at least attempting to keep my emotional skegs in the water.” At the end of the Election Night program, the comic delivered an unrehearsed monologue, asking viewers, “How did our politics get so poisonous?”

The late-night format has been hurt by Colbert’s push into politics.

And Jimmy Kimmel’s.

And Seth Myers’.

Don’t even get me started on Jon Stewart.

The entire slate of current late-night talk shows has written off two thirds of the country.
— Chris McKeever 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@TheRealMcKeever) May 20, 2026

Are you just figuring this out now?

Our expectations for you have been low for a couple of decades but holy shit.
— Usually Right (@normouspenis) May 20, 2026

Where have you been for the last decade? Since Jay Leno’s departure, late night has become a platform of rage, hate, delusion and TDS-infested elitists. You’re just realizing this NOW?
— Katie Shorter, MBA, MA in Counseling (@KatieShorter00) May 20, 2026

That you waited until he is going off the air to point this simple fact out is diabolical.
— Aegon (@RobertPet73) May 20, 2026

Tomorrow night is his last show! Hooray!

Variety on the cutting edge of 2016
— Barkus Aurelius (@frankly_spoke) May 20, 2026

He took a once proud show, curbed stomped it, set it on fire, and did a silly dance.....just to show that he hates Trump.
— Jack Schmit (@schmit_jack) May 20, 2026

Late night used to be an opportunity for entertainers to plug their latest movies; Colbert decided people would rather see Adam Schiff.

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Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.

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