Why Trump Is Afraid of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and “The View”
You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack. You can read a transcript here.
The cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show on CBS does not mean the end of political entertainment shows on network television. In the latest edition of Right awayMeredith Conroy, a political scientist at California State University, San Bernardino, discusses the post-Colbert television landscape. She points out that ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel remains on his perch, as do the women who host “The View,” also on ABC. But the programs are very critical of Trump. But Conroy acknowledges that the landscape has changed dramatically since Bill Clinton played saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show” during the 1992 election campaign and has always made late-night television a place where politicians can show their softer sides. She explains the powerful role played by Colbert and Jon Stewart in shaping liberal thought during the presidency of George W. Bush. Their influence seemed to decline under the presidency of Barack Obama. But during Trump’s first term, Colbert, Daily Show alumna Samantha Bee, Kimmel, Trevor Noah and Seth Myers came together to deliver humorous denunciations of the president every night. Stewart returned late last night in 2024 with a scathing and prescient critique of President Biden’s decision to seek a second term. With Colbert off the airwaves, Kimmel will be an even more important voice, Conroy says.
