Commentary

Then They Came For The Late Night Hosts And I Did Not Speak Out...

by Joe Mandese , September 17, 2025

In the scheme of Trump's ongoing war on America's media, the pressure to pull "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is not on the free press scale of ABC News' and CBS News' capitulations following his libel suits, but in a way, it's a more serious threat, because now we can't even laugh at ourselves for electing him president in the first place.

The irony is that it was a joke by a late night host that jump-started Trump's presidency: Seth Meyers' 2011 monologue at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Although an equally hilarious takedown by then president Barack Obama didn't help.

You can watch both those roasts below, but if you ask me, it was Meyers' joke (annotated above) that was the exact moment Trump sold his soul to the devil and, well, we all know what happened after that.

Meanwhile, add ABC parent Disney and CBS parent Paramount Skydance to the growing list of media industry pariahs for canceling Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, respectively, and I wouldn't be surprised if Trump finally turns his revenge tour on NBC's Meyers, and maybe even Jimmy Fallon.

Needless to say, Fox doesn't have anyone worth laughing at, unless you include Fox News.

Lastly, with apologies to German pastor Martin Niemöller's Nazi-era poem, "First They Came," I hope no one is offended if I adapt it for this occasion:

First they came for the journalists, and I did not speak out --

Because I was not a journalist.

Then they came for the late night talk show hosts, and I did not speak out --

Because I was not a late night talk show host.

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

government, media, politics, television

16 comments about "Then They Came For The Late Night Hosts And I Did Not Speak Out...".

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Dan C. from MS Entertainment, September 18, 2025 at 5:10 a.m.
Or maybe these shows just suck and the hosts get paid way too much money to sh-t on half the country every night. That's not what they were hired to do.
Reply

Kenneth Fadner from MediaPost, September 18, 2025 at 7:19 a.m.

Mr. Ciccone:

Make that 39% of the country ...

https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/52988-donald-trump-job-approval-presidential-attributes-charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-political-parties-democratic-party-republican-party-jeffrey-epstein-immigration-september-12-15-2025-economist-yougov-poll

Mark Sutton from NHR, September 18, 2025 at 8:05 a.m.

Make that 50% of the country.

You know, 50% of the country voted for Trump last year. 50% is half the country

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/political_updates/prez_track_sep17

Why would Kenneth Fadner lie about this? We know why.

Kenneth Fadner
Party Affiliation
Democratic

https://voteref.com/VoterDetails?personId=60add14e-e270-47c3-ae30-f00944db7c1d&state=CT&search=kenneth+fadner

Mark Sutton from NHR, September 18, 2025 at 8:13 a.m.

In reality, they came for conservatives like Charlie Kirk and murdered him because liberals (as seen on MediaPost) tend to be intolerant of opposing views. And some resort to violence because of some garbage that "speech is violence."

Hey Joseph Mandese, why did you delete your initial posting stating that Trump sold his soul to the Devil? Was linking Trump and Republicans to Satan too much that you and MP might get in trouble? You certainly think so, at least have some courage to not censor your hate speech.

Needless to say, Fox doesn't have anyone worth laughing at, unless you include Fox News.

Jesse Waters is the most watched late-night comedian and he's on FOX News. So, another Mandese/MP lie.

And Mandese and MP are once again calling Trump and Republicans Nazis, which helps invoke violence agaisnt them, their family and property.

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., September 18, 2025 at 9:08 a.m.

@Mark Sutton from NHR: Relax, guy.

https://youtu.be/Q1xR3Xidq84?si=p--ZA2qnUhbjhF0y

I'm okay with adding the "devil" back into today's post, and I'm not afraid of anything I publish, because I believe we still live in a country that has a Constitution that protects that speech. But if readers don't know the diffrence between Trump "selling his soul" and "selling his soul to the devil," I'm probably not the one to teach them theology at this point.

I edit things all the time -- especially my own copy -- based on taste, sense and sensibility, but thank you for paying such close attention to MediaPost's line editing. We could use you on our copy desk.

One of the weirdest parts about this particular story is that it demonstrates that 39% of the country doesn't even have a sense of humor anymore. Not just this post, but the fact that they celebrate Trump's attacks on comedians who poke fun at him. If you read my post today, you already know that I think that's even more dangerous than attacking actual journalists, which is to be expected and not a political first. (Continued...)

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., September 18, 2025 at 9:24 a.m.

Journalists are used to being attacked for their reporting -- and their commentary -- but they signed up for that job. Comedians just signed up to be heckled, and if they truly are not funny, the invisible one-clapping hand of the marketplace sorts that out for society.

As someone who has covered the late night TV marketplace closely for nearly half a century, I don't think that's the case for Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, or whomever Trump goes after next. I think the economics of media are changing radically, but I guarantee you, Collbert and possibly Kimmel, will create tremendous media value if they choose to bypass the conventional network/affiliate distribution model and go D2C, because there is a huge audience for what they do. Heck, I'd pay. (Actually, I already do because they are big reasons I subscribe to a vMVPD each month in order to get access to their humor, which helps keep me sane through this dark period.)

If you've been a closer reader of "Red, White Blog," you already know how sarcastic it can be, that it's not always being literal, and occasionally tries to inject some humor into our political debate.

Unlike your comments which go straight to DEFCON 1. You are entitled to infer anything you want, but try to tone down the violent rhetoric and personal attacks.

Despite the fine line of some of your recent comments, we have always welcomed you opposing views for the reasons I've always articulated.

But I personally believe they represent a minority of Americans -- maybe +/- 39% or another number -- as well as the readers of MediaPost in general and "Red, White & Blog" in particular. If not, why do you keep reading if it ticks you off so much. (I even put a "sensitive content" warning label on this one.)

It may not be stated in the Constitution the way speech is, but I believe we all have the right of "free listening" and you can simply opt out.

I'm getting the feeling you probably just wait to pounce on things when they trigger your own political rage, and it seems like you're getting triggered more often and more frequently.

What I'd really like to know is how other MediaPost readers -- the silent majority of you out there -- really think. If enough of you don't like the way I comment on political media and marketing, I'm happy to put this one aside. I've got plenty of other functional media and marketing news to cover.

Regarding the last -- bated -- comment, I never called Trump and Republicans Nazis (on second thought, I take back my offer to put you on our copydesk, because you apparently cannot read), I do think Trump, much of his administration, and a minority of Republicans (perhaps 39%) increasingly are acting that way.

I mean, read the poem, guy.

If you think that's invoking violence against anyone, you should try looking in the mirror. Because those are your words, not mine.

Patrick M from Media, September 18, 2025 at 10:03 a.m.

Joe - your daily TDS has now become an obsession. Get help.

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., September 18, 2025 at 10:12 a.m.

@Patrick M from Media: Your dismissiveness taken. I recommend you exercise your freedom of reading rights and unsubscribe. I mean, why in the world are you reading it if you feel that way?

Brian Bieron from Bieron Communications, September 18, 2025 at 10:49 a.m.

There was a time when network "late night shows" were entertainment industry and variety productions. They were largely non-partisan. That shifted dramatically in the past decade. The impact of John Stewart, who was nominally a comedian and entertainer but whose "faux politics" show became the most influential progressive political commentary in the country, is undeniable. All the major late night shows moved in the direction of Stewart-style aggressively partisan "compedy". Highly progressive politics. Should anyone be surprised that with no more than a third of the audience being progressive, and many not wanting politics every night at bedtime, that their influence would wain and the business shrink? Kimmel's comment about Kirk's shooter being MAGA is an example. It wasn't even a joke, just the progressive political talking point du jour. But thankfully Mr. Kimmel can move to the internet or be reborn as a opinion commentator. Go for it!

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., September 18, 2025 at 11:16 a.m.

@Brian Bieron from Bieron Communications: Actually, the early history of American late night talk shows were remarkably political for their times, including the first one, Steve Allen's "The Tonight Show," and his successor Jack Parr and it wasn't until Johnny Carson's reign that political satire was tamped down to bland, generic punchlines. So John Stewart, and Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" were merely picking up the mantle of pointed political satire that has been at the heart of American media. You know, the kind of free speech parody that made America great in the first place.

I understand that there is a revisionist view among the MAGA wing of politics, but other Americans don't believe even the current generation of late night hosts are being politically partisan, though they routinely skewer Trump for undermining Constitional and democratic norms, and for being a vindictive, stochastic, mean-spirited, vengeful abuser of power.

John Stewart observed this early on in his great "gratuitous dickishness" monologue, which I think is more relevant today than it was when he first delivered it on Colbert's show during the earliest days of Trump 1.0. I highly recommend you watch it:

https://youtu.be/PYCPZrOkZx0?si=D6DvrRlryvUN-HeW

I think the problem is MAGA has distorted the historic American values of what constitutes partisan vs. simply making fun of bad person. I've never been anti-Republican and as an independent moderate voter, I've frequently caucused with Republicans and their politics when they met my personal standard of American values. Democrats too.

MAGAs may dismiss criticism and poking fun at Trump as some form of derangement, but Americans on the other side believe they are the deranged ones for backing someone who is so aggressively -- and cruelly -- trying to undermine American values, the Constitution and democratic norms.

It's remarkable how after years of kvetching about "the Left's" cancel culture, MAGAs have now embraced it. That's no way to honor the legacy of Charlie Kirk.

Meanwhile, here's an example of comedic free speech being exercised on our earliest late night talk show: https://youtu.be/G3QgxmiBfNY?si=NyVvVPWZnRkHX-Qk

Jay Goldstein from Gamut, September 18, 2025 at 12:10 p.m.

Joe, spot on as always! Freedom of speech is the key to our democacy, and late night hosts have been making jokes at the expense of presidents and political figures since the 50's. Now we have a humorless authoritarian in the WH and his dangerous zealots backing him, so no more jokes!

Mark Sutton from NHR replied, September 18, 2025 at 1:53 p.m.

It may not be stated in the Constitution the way speech is, but I believe we all have the right of "free listening" and you can simply opt out.

Can you please tell that to your leftist brethren because thgey think shooting a father in front of his children because he was having a discussion with college kids was actually the most brazen attack on free speech

Dan C. from MS Entertainment, September 18, 2025 at 3:03 p.m.

@Joe Mandese

I read all of your comments here, and you're just incredibly hypocritical. You state you welcome opposing commentary, but no matter how respectful the opposition is, you're tired retort is "you can unsubscribe." That's not welcoming opposition - it's illustrating you prefer agreement over opposition.

Secondly, others have pointed out that your RWB commentary really should just be called the TDS blog because all you do is bitch and complain about Trump. While I appreciate you admitting that you despise him, I fail to see how your RWB commentary fulfills any MP mission other than offering you an outlet to vomit your disdain on a regular basis.

You're not a "down the middle" political ideology as much as you proclaim. The fact that you cannot admit that Gutfeld is a late-night host kicking the competition's ass reinforces that you're an ideologue and not really a steward of history when it comes to late night TV.

Finally - just because Trump whines and complains and bashes journalists and late night comediens doesn't make him Hitler-like. He's not throwing them in jail and he's not killing them. These Hitler comparsions are beyond hyperbolic and it is this exact rhetoric that has led to the dismantling of any type of civility in debate.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. You're not offering solutions - you're just whining and complaining regularly which is a major problem for the entire left. The American public wants solutions to problems - not constant bellyaching about how mean the big bad organge guy is.

You're not covering the industry or media landscape objectively and whenever you're called out on it, you just become dismissive or throw out juvelille barbs.

Your reporting is decent and articulate. Your commentary driven by your far from center ideology just comes across as desperation to be heard.

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., September 18, 2025 at 3:36 p.m.

@Mark Sutton from NHR: One of your recent comments has been removed, because you continue violating our comment moderation policies, including personal attacks, uncivil language and unsolicited invocations of violence. Please don't do so again.

Ben B from Retired, September 18, 2025 at 11:16 p.m.

Jimmy Kimmel is going to be his own boss and I think when his contract was up he was going to end his show on ABC. I'm not into late night talk shows wasn't my thing even when Leno & Letterman were on in the 90s, I was too young for Johnny Carson was just a kid in the 80s.

Kimmel was wrong making who killed Kirk a hero which he is not a hero and just not funny either. When you have 2 of 3 biggest TV stations owners not going to air Jimmy Kimmel ABC would have to listen in Nexstar & Sinclair the 3RD is Scripps which all 3 own TV stations in West Michigan Nexstar owns WOTV luckly there is a second ABC station WZZM TEGNA owns it didn't seem that they didn't say anything. Scripps owns WXMI FOX17, & Sinclair owns WWMT CBS.

The FCC is wrong wanting to fine ABC or to revoke lt's license just because they didn't like the cruel joke that Kimmel said on Mon, and also ABC paying the $15 Million to apease Trump was wrong and why we are here today. I wasn't for cancele culture on either side which is now a weapon which is sad. I hope it swings back to the middle but I don't see it happening.

Joshua Chasin from KnotSimpler replied, September 19, 2025 at 8:53 a.m.

When Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK, we didn't make it political.

When Sirhan Sirhan shot Robert Kennedy, we didn't make it political.

When James Earl Ray shot MLK, we didn't make it political.

When John Hinkley Jr. shot Ronald Reagan, we didn't make it political.

When Melissa Hartman and her husband were murdered in Minnesota, and John Hoffman and his wife shot, by Vance Luther Boelter-- this year-- we didn't make it political.

Charlie Kirk was not assassinated by "the radical left." He was not shot by "inflamed rhetoric" (when it comes to inflamed rhetoric, that was sort of his brand.) He was not shot by "the far left." He was shot, like everyone else on this list, by a single man. No party, no ideology, no organization has claimed or defended him. His family literally turned him in.

The reaction to Kirk's murder is wholly out of step with what has passed for collective public decency since I've been alive. Did Ronald Reagan attack "leftist scum" when he was shot? Did he make NBC pull Johnny Carson? Personally, my most vivid memory of that time was him joking to the surgeons as they wheeled him into the OR, "I hope you're all Republicans." It was a great line.

I really HATE mixing politics with work. But when some of the greatest companies in my business are dragged into the news like this, it becomes increasingly difficult to draw a line.