After Trump Victory, Late Night Hosts Respond with Joy, Resilience and a Call to Action

As the results of the 2024 presidential election trickled in, late-night comedy hosts found themselves in a familiar position—tasked with processing a shocking political outcome and figuring out how to respond with their trademark blend of humor and heart. Seth Meyers: “Let’s f—ing go.”

Seth Meyers of NBC’s Late Night opened his Wednesday monologue with an understandable grimace but quickly shifted gears to a message of joy and resilience. “I knew I would be here a few hours later to talk about it, and I couldn’t help but think—and this is genuine—what a privilege to be here with you, to be with my colleagues, to not feel alone,” Meyers said.

He went on to describe the Late Night team’s mission as one of “finding laughter, connection, and joy, even when things are bleak, and telling you how we feel.” “And it might be challenging,” Meyers continued, “but to that challenge, I say, ‘Let’s f—ing go.'”

Meyers also shared a charming anecdote about voting with his six-year-old son, Axel, who mistook an “older gentleman” waiting in line as Donald Trump himself. Stephen Colbert: “The deep shock and sense of loss is enormous.”

Over on CBS, Stephen Colbert addressed his audience directly in a pre-recorded segment, acknowledging their likely distress over the election results. “Hey there. How’re you doing? If you’re a regular viewer of this show, I assume you’re not doing well. Yeah, me neither,” Colbert said solemnly.

But the host was quick to emphasize the importance of community, thanking his audience and colleagues for being there “especially at times like this.” “There’ll be jokes, because that’s what we do,” Colbert promised. “And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody enters this industry because their life experiences have been flawless, preparing them for challenges. You guys ready?”

The Late Show then aired a montage of international “reactions” to the US election, ranging from a Canadian hockey player slamming his stick in frustration to Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter character declaring, “I’ll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I don’t exist.”

Jon Stewart: “This isn’t the end. I promise you, this is not the end.” Veteran comedian Jon Stewart, who had anchored a live election night special on Comedy Central, offered a message of resilience and determination.

“We’re going to come out of this election, and we’re going to make all kinds of pronouncements about what this country is and what this world is,” Stewart said. “And the truth is, we’re not really going to know anything,” Stewart said. We’re going to portray this as the ultimate state of our civilization.

Stewart, however, remained undeterred, emphasizing that “this isn’t the end” and urging his audience to “regroup and…continue to fight and continue to work day in and day out to create a better society for our children, for this world, for this country, that we know is possible.” It’s possible.”

In the face of a political outcome that left many Americans reeling, these late-night hosts modeled a path forward—one paved with humor, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to finding the light, even in the darkest of times.