Late-Night Hosts Mock Trump and Stevens Before Midterms

With control of Congress at stake, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers used their November 2 broadcasts to target President Donald Trump and Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, whose endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers had stirred controversy over the weekend. Stevens had previously supported defeating Rogers, who is running against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, the winner of the party’s primary against her.

Stewart questioned Trump’s decision to spend his final pre-election speech discussing renovations to Washington’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He also said Democrats appeared positioned for gains in the House and Senate, provided the remaining days brought no major shocks. Stevens’ endorsement, he joked, was a dramatic turn.

Kimmel ridiculed Trump’s focus on the pool and his campaign rallies, while also making a joke about Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a disputed birthday card story involving Jeffrey Epstein. Kimmel said more than 57 million Americans had already voted and cited the pool’s $16 million cost as he mocked Trump’s speech there.

Meyers discussed an allegation that Mary Peltola’s campaign helped enlist unaffiliated contender Daniel J. Sullivan as a vote-splitting candidate in Alaska’s Senate race. He joked that the tactic was dirty, while contrasting it with the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the attack on the Capitol. He also replayed Stevens’ halting CNN interview, during which anchor Anderson Cooper remarked that he had left a pause for her to answer.

The hosts’ comments came as campaigns approached Election Day on November 3, with control of Congress among the stakes.

Late-Night Hosts Expose Trump’s Priorities as Election Nears

With control of Congress on the line, late-night hosts made Trump’s closing campaign message a target—and underscored the stakes of a possible Democratic wave. On November 2, Jon Stewart questioned why Trump devoted his final pre-election speech to renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, rather than the congressional contest. Jimmy Kimmel likewise mocked the speech, pointing to the project’s $16 million cost and Trump’s string of rallies.

The hosts also focused on Haley Stevens, who endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after losing the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed. Stewart highlighted her earlier support for defeating Rogers and treated the reversal as a startling turn. Meyers dwelled on Stevens’ awkward CNN interview, where anchor Anderson Cooper called out a long silence.

In Alaska, Meyers discussed an allegation that Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit independent Daniel J. Sullivan as a spoiler. He called the alleged tactic dirty, but contrasted it with efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Capitol attack. His comparison made the distinction clear: a contested campaign maneuver is not the same as an attempt to subvert a presidential election.

The broadcasts gave viewers a pointed critique of Trump’s campaign priorities and Stevens’ endorsement on the eve of voting, while emphasizing the possibility of Democrats gaining ground in Congress.

Late-Night Hosts Turn Midterm Eve Into Partisan Attacks

Rather than offer a neutral account of the midterm contest, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers used their November 2 shows to attack Trump and Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens—and to frame a possible Democratic wave as a prospect worth celebrating. Their partisan tone was clear as they mocked Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and his campaign rallies.

Stevens, a Democrat who endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after losing her party’s primary to Abdul El-Sayed, also became a target. Stewart highlighted her earlier statements supporting efforts to defeat Rogers, while Meyers ridiculed her halting CNN interview. The focus on her reversal showed how quickly the hosts turned a contentious intra-party development into late-night material.

Meyers also discussed an allegation that Mary Peltola’s campaign helped enlist unaffiliated contender Daniel J. Sullivan as a vote-splitting candidate in Alaska’s Senate race. He said the alleged tactic was dirty, then contrasted it with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol attack. The segment made a grave comparison while joking about a campaign maneuver that remained an allegation.

The shows arrived one day before voters chose candidates in races that could determine control of Congress. Their coverage presented the election through a strongly Democratic lens, with Trump and Republicans bearing the brunt of the jokes.