Comedian Nate Bargatze said he will avoid political jokes and references to the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk when he hosts the 2025 Emmy Awards, describing the show as an opportunity for audiences to have a light, entertaining night.
Bargatze told Entertainment Weekly in a preview published Sunday that he had no plans to mention Kirk’s assassination or use the ceremony to address politics. "I know there's heartbreaking stuff that's been happening right now, but I want this night to be an escape, and I think that's why I was brought on," he said, adding that he wanted the evening to be "fun, silly" and not mean-spirited.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University. Bargatze called the killing "the saddest thing in the world" and said he did not feel it appropriate to bring such events into an awards show setting.
In interviews with multiple outlets, including Fox News Digital, Bargatze reinforced that his comedy tends to center on a clean-cut, family-friendly sensibility shaped in part by his Christian upbringing. He said his aim as host was to welcome a broad audience, regardless of religion or political beliefs, and to avoid material that would make celebrities or attendees uncomfortable. "I don't want to, when I see them afterwards, it to be weird. I want them to be fun and good-natured and them be good sports about it," he said.
Bargatze’s career includes two stints as "Saturday Night Live" host and several Netflix specials, and he has cultivated a reputation for observational humor that steers clear of harsh personal attacks. The 2025 Emmys will mark his first time hosting the ceremony.
While Bargatze emphasized avoidance of political material at the ceremony, other figures in the comedy world have publicly reacted to Kirk’s killing. The incident has prompted commentary across media platforms about safety at public events and the role of political rhetoric in public discourse.
Producers and networks typically discuss tone and content with hosts in advance; Bargatze’s statements echo those talks in stressing a desire for the Emmys to serve as entertainment rather than a forum for political debate. He told Fox News Digital that while he does not hide his faith, he does not seek to proselytize from the stage and prefers material that "welcomes everybody." "It doesn't matter what religion you are. It doesn't matter what your politics are," he said.
The Emmys ceremony is scheduled to air Sunday. Organizers and talent have in past years balanced topical monologues with lighter segments, and Bargatze's comments signal an intent to skew toward the latter. The event will proceed in the wake of national attention on the Utah campus shooting and the ensuing conversations it has generated.
Bargatze's remarks follow a period of heightened sensitivity among awards-show hosts and producers about how to address recent, high-profile incidents without overshadowing the ceremony. He said he planned to keep the night "a fun night" for viewers, in keeping with his established comedic approach.