Jay Leno blasts late-night hosts for political bias: 'Why shoot for just half an audience all the time?'

Jay Leno blasts late-night hosts for political bias: 'Why shoot for just half an audience all the time?'
Jay Leno shared his thoughts on the need for balance in political comedy during a candid chat with David Trulio (@ReaganFoundation/YouTube)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former late-night titan Jay Leno is sounding off on the current state of political comedy, offering a stark contrast to today’s partisan-driven late-night landscape.

In a revealing interview with David Trulio, the president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the 75-year-old 'The Tonight Show' legend reflected on his approach to political humor, a method grounded in balance, neutrality, and a desire to make everyone laugh.

Leno's comments arrive at a moment of upheaval in the world of late-night television, with CBS recently announcing the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', sparking political speculation and outrage in entertainment circles.

Leno, known for keeping his comedy equally critical of both Republicans and Democrats, suggests today’s hosts may be shooting themselves in the foot by alienating half their potential audience.

Jay Leno attends amfAR Las Vegas Presented by Paramount at Wynn Las Vegas on November 22, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ryan Emberley/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)
Jay Leno attends amfAR Las Vegas Presented by Paramount at Wynn Las Vegas on November 22, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Ryan Emberley/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)

Jay Leno on balanced political comedy

During the interview, David Trulio asked Jay Leno about the oft-cited analysis showing that over his 22 years hosting 'The Tonight Show', his political jokes were nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

“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?” Trulio asked.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JULY 16: David Trulio, President & CEO, Reagan Foundation speaks onstage during the Reindustrialize Conference 2025 on July 16, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Reindustrialize Conference)
David Trulio, President & CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, speaks onstage during the Reindustrialize Conference 2025 on July 16, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Reindustrialize Conference)

Leno confirmed that balance was intentional and enjoyable.

“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,” he recalled.

“And I go, ‘Well, that's good.' That's how you get a whole audience,” Leno added. 

BURBANK, CA -  SEPTEMBER 27 -  In this handout photo provided by Host Jay Leno, on the occasion of t
Jay Leno, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of 'The Tonight Show', announces that in 2009, he will be turning over the mike to NBC's Conan O'Brien, after what will be a 17-year run as America's Late Night Leader (NBC/Paul Drinkwater via Getty Images)

Leno said he always aimed to avoid taking a political stance on air, instead treating political figures as fodder for jokes, not as ideological battlegrounds.

“Why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole?” he asked, before adding, “I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don’t do it at all.”

Jay Leno says comedy should offer relief, not division

Jay Leno drew a clear line between entertaining viewers and engaging in political advocacy. He recalled his longtime friendship with comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield, noting that despite knowing him for four decades, politics never came up in conversation.

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 06: Rodney Dangerfield and Jay Leno; Meet Wally Sparks Premiere; Los Angeles, CA; 1997 (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
Rodney Dangerfield and Jay Leno at 'Meet Wally Sparks' premiere in Los Angeles, California, in 1997 (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

“I knew Rodney 40 years,” Leno said. “I have no idea if he was a Democrat or a Republican. We never discussed [it], we just discussed jokes.”

To Leno, comedy has always served a deeper purpose, a way for people to decompress from daily life.

“I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, you know, the pressures of life, whatever it might be,” he said.

“And I love political humor, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other,” he added. 

According to Leno, leaning heavily into one-sided commentary limits the comedian’s reach. “Now you have to be content with half the audience because you have [to] give your opinion,” he noted.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Jay Leno attends
Jay Leno attends 'May Contain Nuts! A Night Of Comedy' Benefiting WeSPARK Cancer Support Center at Skirball Cultural Center on October 25, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images)

For him, the ultimate test of a joke is whether everyone can laugh, even when the target is their political camp.

“Funny is funny,” Leno said. “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.”

He emphasized the importance of timing, brevity, and simplicity, advice he credits to Dangerfield. “When I was with Rodney, it was always in the economy of words, get to the joke as quickly as possible,” he shared. 

Cancellation of Stephen Colbert's ‘The Late Show’ sparks political backlash

Jay Leno’s comments are particularly relevant in the wake of CBS’ shocking decision to cancel 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', with its final episode set for May 2026.

Though CBS said the cancellation was a “purely financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” many believe the network’s motives were political, particularly given the timing.


 
 
 
 
 
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Just weeks prior, CBS and parent company Paramount agreed to pay President Donald Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that '60 Minutes' edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to favor her before the 2024 election.

Colbert publicly criticized the settlement on air, calling it a “big fat bribe,” just days before the show’s cancellation was announced. Trump later celebrated the decision on Truth Social, which provoked an expletive-laden retort from Colbert in his monologue: “Go f*** yourself.”

Hollywood shows support for Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert’s ousting has galvanized the late-night community. Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, and John Oliver all attended a taping of 'The Late Show' to show their support. David Letterman, who originally hosted the show before Colbert took over in 2015, also condemned CBS’ decision.

David Letterman at Emens Auditorium on November 30, 2015.(Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Ron Hoskins)
David Letterman at Emens Auditorium on November 30, 2015 (Ron Hoskins/Getty Images)

“You can’t spell CBS without BS,” Letterman said. He called the cancellation “pure cowardice” and accused the network of mistreating Colbert.

CBS has reiterated that the move had nothing to do with the show’s content or performance, but rather with broader economic concerns facing late-night television.

Reflecting on the current state of late-night TV, Leno believes the lesson is clear: political comedy that’s too partisan narrows the scope of laughter and success.

BURBANK, CA - JULY 7:  Jay Leno appears on
Jay Leno appears on 'The Tonight Show' on July 7, 2004 at the NBC Studios in Burbank, California (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“Well, why shoot for just half an audience all the time?” he asked. “I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture.”

He further added, “I’m not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just do what’s funny.”

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