Seth Meyers Adjusted Late-Night Show's Tone After Trump's Second Election

Seth Meyers, host of NBC's "Late Night," admitted that the second election of Donald Trump prompted a significant tonal shift for his show. Meyers revealed in an interview that he and his team held a meeting to discuss the new direction, aiming to avoid simply going through the motions.

"We did have this like tonal conversation at our show, because again, we did not, I mean, twice now, we have been shocked that he has been elected, right?" Meyers said during an appearance on Nayeema Raza's "Smart Girl Dumb Questions" podcast. He added that while the first election was more shocking, the second necessitated a sit-down with the entire team.

Meyers expressed concern that continuing with the same comedic approach as the first Trump administration would feel "neutered." He explained that the show's new approach involves finding joy in the collective agreement about the absurdity of the political situation, rather than being weighed down by it.

"I'm like, 'Look, I don't think we can tonally be the same that we were for the first four years, right? I think it's going to be different, and it's going to feel different,'" Meyers stated. "And so what we do and like what I go out and tell the audience before the show every night is like, 'Look, this show is joyful to do. This is joyful to have you here. And like there's a real strength and joy.' Like, so what we're talking about isn't joyous, but like we — I don't want to perform with like the weight of it all on top of me."

He emphasized the importance of honesty and factual accuracy, stating, "We want to get our facts right. But we think there's a strength in, like, sort of being joyful about the fact that we're all together agreeing how f---ing crazy this is."

Meyers also touched upon the suspension of fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in 2025 following controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Meyers described Kimmel's abrupt time off the air as a "scary time," indicating the unpredictable nature of consequences in the current media landscape.

"The scariest thing about the second term is, like, I feel like there's a lot more going back to the drawing board when you don't get it your first try," Meyers reflected.

He credited NBC News for not dictating his show's content, calling it a "special thing." Meanwhile, Curtis Houck, managing editor of Newsbusters, criticized the approach of some late-night hosts, suggesting they often cannot resist focusing heavily on Trump.

"These elitist hosts have spent a lifetime scaring audiences with every move from this administration, so they can insist they're going to lean into joy, but they cannot and will not help themselves," Houck told Fox News Digital. "They have this belief that they're like Thomas Paine writing about how 'These are the times that try men's souls,' and any sort of happiness must be seen as a triumph. Cry me a river."

Meyers, along with John Oliver, had previously joined Kimmel on his show, where they referred to Kimmel as a "bulletproof vest" in the face of presidential ire.