Late Night Hosts Process Trump Victory

When America finds itself deeply divided and millions of citizens fear for their future, laughing probably isn’t the first thing they want to do. Even the people who usually crack the jokes may not feel up to the task. “This sucks,” summarized comedian Stephen Colbert in his opening monologue on The Late Show on November 9th, the day Donald Trump was declared the President Elect of the United States. Most of Colbert’s peers heartily agreed.

The same late night hosts who joked about the possibility of a President Trump now seem sobered by the reality of his victory. Seth Meyers of Late Night talked about finding solace in his son, his dog, and the yet unknown first woman president of the United States. He was on the verge of tears when he spoke about his mom, who hoped to see Hillary Clinton’s presidency, but regained his footing quickly. Like nearly every other host that night, he professionally congratulated Trump and his army of supporters, expressed his sympathy for minorities, cracked a few jokes, and ended on a positive note. “Hope is always the best possible path to take,” he advised. Conan’s namesake host, Conan O’Brien, was also dismayed by the results of the election, but still expressed his faith in democracy. “Today, Americans have the right to feel happy, angry, pessimistic, optimistic, but everybody should feel grateful that we get to vote, and if we don’t get our way, we have the chance to try again. It is a beautiful thing,” he said.

Late night TV is dominated by straight white men, the group from which Donald Trump draws most of his support. Samantha Bee of Full Frontal and Trevor Noah of The Daily Show are two exceptions to the homogeneity. Bee, the only female late night host on air, is a Canadian woman with dual citizenship. Noah is a mixed-race South African immigrant who came to America in 2009. Both offered fresh perspectives on the election’s results. “Once you dust for fingerprints, it’s pretty clear who ruined America: white people,” quipped a frank, frustrated Bee. “Let’s get off the floor and get busy. Especially you, white women. We got some karma to work off.” Noah was far more forgiving. “I think what we need to do now is try and look on the bright side. Since Trump won the election, no one can deny that he has been a phenomenal president elect… In fact, I say we use this opportunity to start over with Trump. We should try.”

Criticism from conservatives, given the tendency of late night hosts to rail on Trump and his policies, was inevitable, but liberals too have accused hosts of taking the election too lightly. Targets include veteran Jimmy Fallon, who began hosting late night TV in 2009 after a six-year stint on Saturday Night Live. Trump’s detractors thought the Tonight Show host was too soft on him and should’ve asked a few hardball questions in the traditions of David Letterman and Jon Stewart. One clip of Fallon rumpling Trump’s famous hairdo was widely circulated on September 15th, the day the show aired, and again on election night. The beloved Colbert was booed passionately after he told his live audience that “like it or not- for the record, not- we have to accept that Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States.” Colbert later reassured his audience that this didn’t mean he would be complacent, or that he had finished processing the news himself. “How are you already accepting this?” he asked a video clip of Hillary Clinton. “Did you pay extra for the Fastpass through the Five Stages of Grief? You know acceptance is last, right?”

Acceptance may still be far away for half of America, but in the meantime, late night comedians can be at least a distraction. At their best, they can be voices of reason, role models, and pointed critics. “In the face of something that might strike you as horrible, I think laughter is the best medicine,” said a tipsy, impassioned Colbert as a Trump win became a virtual certainty and his live election coverage came to a close. “You cannot laugh and be afraid at the same time, and the devil cannot stand mockery.”