OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:59 PM – Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Former late-night host Jay Leno commented on the over-politicization of contemporary late-night television — in the wake of the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The dialogue, appearing alongside David Trulio for the Ronald Reagan Institute, was posted on July 22nd.
Clips of the interview have begun circulating on social media following Colbert’s announcement of his show’s cancellation, and during which, Leno suggested that Colbert’s show business model was inherently unsustainable, emphasizing that he doubts “anybody wants to hear a lecture.”
Advertisement
Trulio is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI).
“I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, the pressures of life, wherever it might be,” Leno stated. “And I love political humor, don’t get me wrong, but what happens [is] people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other,” Leno stated.
“Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole?” Leno continued.
Colbert is known for his “woke” progressive politics, constantly criticizing President Donald Trump and Republicans in general while supporting Democrat policies.
Notably, Colbert’s ongoing support for the prior COVID-19 vaccine mandate prompted him and his show writers to create “The Vax-Scene” segment in his program — where Colbert recreated popular songs but with a “pro-vaccine twist” — during the COVID-19 era.
Trulio questioned Leno’s past approach to political humor as well, stating: “I read that there was an analysis done of your work on ‘The Tonight Show’ for the 22 years and that your jokes were roughly equally balanced between going after Republicans and taking aim at Democrats. Did you have a strategy?”
“It was fun to me when I got hate letters [like] ‘Dear Mr. Leno, you and your Republican friends’ and ‘Well, Mr. Leno, I hope you and your Democratic buddies are happy’ – over the same joke,” Leno responded.
“And I go, ‘Well, that’s good,” he continued. “That’s how you get a whole audience.”
Leno also referenced late comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield, arguing that he was able to bring people together through political humor that poked fun at both sides — rather than alienating viewers with a one-sided point of view.
“I knew Rodney 40 years,” Leno stated. “I have no idea if he was Democrat or Republican. We never discussed [it], we just discussed jokes.”
“Funny is funny,” he continued. “It’s funny when someone who’s not…when you make fun of their side and they laugh at it, you know, that’s kind of what I do.”
“I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture,” Leno added. “When I was with Rodney, it was always in the economy of words – get to the joke as quickly as possible.”
“I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don’t do it at all. I’m not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just do what’s funny.”
Paramount, the owner of CBS, has since maintained that the show was cancelled due to financial reasons and was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”
British political commentator Piers Morgan celebrated the end of Colbert’s show, writing on Sunday: “This is so damning. Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats — a party that’s rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.”
President Trump also issued his support for Colbert’s show getting cancelled, adding: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to leave a comment!
Sponsored Content Below
