NEWSJay Leno Says He Would Struggle to Joke About Donald Trump Without Getting Mean
Jay Leno said Donald Trump would be a difficult target for late-night comedy.
Aug. 14 2026, Published 5:50 a.m. ET
Jay Leno says President Donald Trump would not be an easy target if he were still behind The Tonight Show desk.
On the “Awards Chatter” podcast, Leno said political comedy traditionally works by exaggerating reality. Trump, he suggested, has made that harder.
Jay Leno reflected on how political humor had changed since his ‘Tonight Show’ era.
“The trouble is, the fun thing about doing politics is you exaggerate it,” Leno said. “That’s the big laugh. With Trump,” he continued, “OK, alright, he’s sleeping with a stripper, Stormy Daniels. Where do I go with that? I mean, where do you take…That’s the reality of it.”
He added that comedy becomes more difficult when the dislike is personal.
“When you don’t like someone, it’s harder to make fun of them,” Leno said.
The Old Late-Night Model
The former host recalled making lighter political jokes about past presidents.
Leno hosted The Tonight Show from 1992 through 2009, covering the presidencies of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Obama became the first sitting president to appear on late-night television while in office when he visited Leno’s show in 2009.
Leno said the tone around presidential humor has changed dramatically since his era.
“With George Bush, I could always go, you know, I don’t think President Bush quite understands,” Leno said. “And people would smile, and you know, that you’re going to give them a little jab.”
Trump, he said, brings a different problem.
“Now it’s just... people are so invested in this. It’s very tricky,” Leno said. “People think, ‘Oh, it must be great. Don’t you wish you were doing it now? No, because I’m not a Trump fan. I don’t like him.”
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The Politics Problem
Jay Leno said Donald Trump’s political following made comedy more complicated.
Ryan McCormick, co-founder and managing partner of Goldman McCormick Public Relations and a former comedy publicist, said Leno’s comments point to a larger split in late night.
“Late-night hosts that go overly political risk alienating portions of the population that don't share their views,” McCormick said. “When they go from being an entertainer to being a pundit/advocate, it can cause controversy.”
He said Leno represents a different broadcast instinct.
“Jay Leno reminds people that once upon a time late-night hosts did not do that,” McCormick noted. “They were there to entertain and to appeal to the widest audience possible. Political humor seemed to be an afterthought and something everyone could laugh about.”
The Late-Night Clip Factory
A public relations expert argued that overly political late-night shows risked losing viewers.
“In recent years certain late-night hosts have used their platforms more for their views than for entertainment,” McCormick explained.
“Because of that, I think they have diminished their maximum appeal and now gear their shows only toward those who already agree with them,” he added.
“At the same time,” he said, “it opens up a huge window of opportunity for a new late-night host who does not provoke any political ire and is genuinely funny to captivate a massive audience.”
