'It stopped being funny': Vince Vaughn blasts late-night hosts for pushing anti-Trump agenda

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Actor Vince Vaughn has sparked renewed debate over late-night television, criticizing what he calls increasingly one-note, politically driven content.

On a recent episode of Theo Von’s 'This Past Weekend' podcast, Vaughn took aim at major industry figures, including Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, suggesting that many shows have become indistinguishable while promoting a single political perspective. The 'Old School' star spoke openly about what he views as a widening disconnect with audiences, as late-night formats continue to struggle for relevance.

Vince Vaughn says late-night hosts pushing agendas, not jokes

Comedian Theo Von said late-night TV reached a point where hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert seemed to focus their jokes on a narrow audience, often targeting “white redneck” stereotypes.

Vince Vaughn agreed, arguing that the shift toward podcasting reflects what viewers now want: authenticity. He suggested, “People want authenticity, and I think that the talk shows, to a large part, became agenda-based. They were gonna evangelical [sic] people to what they thought, you know what I mean."

According to Vaughn, that approach pushed viewers away because it felt forced rather than genuine.

"So people just rejected it, because it didn’t feel authentic. It felt like they had an agenda. It’s stopped being funny.. I didn’t want to take, do you know what I mean? I’m getting scolded!”

Vaughn added that the comedic edge seemed to fade as shows leaned further into commentary, saying it began to feel less like entertainment and more like being lectured.

“They all became the same show. And they all became so about their politics and who’s good and who’s bad.”

“The phenomenon isn’t what they say,” Vaughn emphasized. “They always blame technology, but the reality is it’s the approach.”

Late-night shows’ criticism of Trump

The actor's comments come after years of late-night criticism directed at Donald Trump by hosts such as Colbert, Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and, to a lesser extent, Jimmy Fallon. Trump has often fired back, including when he reacted to Kimmel’s suspension last year following remarks related to the killing of Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel said, "The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Trump responded enthusiastically to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, calling it “great news.” He also welcomed the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' though Colbert is set to air his final episode this May. Trump went further, saying he was pleased to see Colbert off the air and took a jab at both his talent and ratings.

Despite this, both Kimmel and Colbert have continued to target Trump in 2026. Kimmel recently suggested Trump’s “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran was intended to divert attention from renewed scrutiny surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.

Conan O’Brien takes aim at comedians over anti-Trump agenda

Vince Vaughn isn’t alone in criticizing the political turn in comedy. Earlier this year, late-night veteran Conan O'Brien also took aim at comedians who rely heavily on anti-Trump material, arguing that anger has begun to replace humor. Speaking at an event hosted by the Oxford Union, O’Brien said some comics fall into the habit of repeating anti-Trump lines instead of crafting genuinely funny material, suggesting that this approach risks diluting their effectiveness.

O’Brien added, "Any person like that would say, ‘Well, things are too serious now. I don’t need to be funny.’ And I think, well, if you’re a comedian, you always need to be funny."

O’Brien said, "You just have to find a way to channel that anger, because good art will always be a perfect weapon against power, but if you’re just screaming and you’re just angry, you’ve lost your best tool in the toolbox.”