Late-night host Seth Meyers stated that the election of President Donald Trump to a second term prompted a team meeting at his show to adjust its comedic tone. Meyers disclosed this during a Tuesday interview with Nayeema Raza, host of the "Smart Girl Dumb Questions" podcast, where he addressed the changing landscape of political comedy.
Meyers explained that the team had to determine how to approach the new administration without sounding like they were raising the alarm every night. He noted that the shock of Trump's second victory led to a "tonal conversation" where the crew acknowledged they could not maintain the same approach used during the president's first four years.
"I don't think we can tonally be the same that we were for the first four years, right? I think it's going to be different," Meyers said. He described the potential outcome of continuing with the previous method as feeling "neutered" and like "going through the motions again."
Instead, Meyers said he tells his audience and staff that the show is "joyful to do" and that there is "real strength and joy" in being together. He clarified that while the subject matter is not joyous, he does not want to perform with the weight of it all on him. The goal, he said, is to be honest and get facts right while finding strength in agreeing on how crazy the situation is.
Meyers also addressed the 2025 suspension of fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel was suspended after making comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Meyers described the moment Kimmel was taken off the air as "certainly the scariest time" of all.
"I don't think he knew that morning that he would be off the air that night," Meyers said. He added that the second term feels like there is a lot more "going back to the drawing board" when one does not get it right the first try.
Meyers credited NBC News for never dictating what he should say, calling it a "special thing." The discussion occurred against a backdrop of recent appearances by Meyers and comedian John Oliver on Kimmel's show, where they described Kimmel as a "bulletproof vest" regarding criticism from Trump.
Oliver told Kimmel that he draws "all the ire," allowing others to remain fine as long as Kimmel is on the air. Oliver stated, "We are fully behind you the way that we're fully behind a bulletproof vest." The group speculated on why Kimmel drew such attention, with Meyers joking that it was because the president would want to hang out with him.
Curtis Houck, managing editor of Newsbusters, offered a contrasting view in a statement to Fox News Digital. Houck argued that late-night hosts like Meyers cannot genuinely lean into joy while scaring audiences with every move from the administration. He characterized their prominence on the left as resulting from a "rabid emphasis on everything Trump and a hyperbolic outlook," suggesting their attempts at happiness are seen as a triumph over their own beliefs.