Former Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman returned to his old stomping grounds Tuesday night, dropping by to weigh in on Susan Collins’ re-election prospects as the show’s “resident Maine resident.”
It was Hodgman’s first appearance on the show in nearly a decade—and his first in a correspondent-style role since 2015.
“Here to explain the mindset of the Maine voter, please welcome our resident Maine resident: John Hodgman,” Jordan Klepper announced, bringing out the show’s former “resident expert.”
The premise had Hodgman, who lives part-time in Maine, playing up the part—complete with a fishing coat, pipe, and Downeast accent—as he explained the importance of Maine roots to the state’s voters. He quickly corrected Klepper for calling him a native.
“I was born in Massachusetts, and thus to a real Mainer, I will always be ‘from away,’” Hodgman explained.
According to Hodgman, true Maine status goes considerably deeper than simply being born there. “If your father wasn’t a lighthouse keeper and your mother wasn’t a lighthouse, well, then you’ll never win office in Maine,” he told Klepper.
That brought him to Collins, a native of Caribou, Maine, whose Maine bona fides have long been part of her political appeal. Hodgman called that her “secret weapon,” pointing to her 2020 race against Democrat Sara Gideon, who had led Collins in most pre-election polls.
“Sara Gideon was born… in Rhode Island,” Hodgman said, punctuating the revelation with a thunderclap.
This time, though, Collins is facing an opponent with plenty of Maine credentials of his own: Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation Mainer from Aroostook County who began working in the logging industry at 19.
Klepper and Hodgman briefly overlapped at The Daily Show near the end of Jon Stewart’s original run, but Tuesday marked the first time they’ve shared the desk in this configuration.
Hodgman’s own history with the show dates back nearly 21 years. He first appeared on Nov. 16, 2005, as an interview guest promoting his book The Areas of My Expertise. The appearance went well enough that producers invited the literary agent-turned-humorist back as the show’s “resident expert,” beginning a contributor run that lasted through Stewart’s 2015 departure.
Over the years, Hodgman weighed in on everything from the economy and net neutrality to time travel and head lice. The role helped launch an unlikely television career that soon included his famous turn as “PC” opposite Justin Long in Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign.
Hodgman appeared during Stewart’s final episode on Aug. 6, 2015, alongside a parade of former correspondents. His only subsequent Daily Show visit came in October 2017, when he sat down with Trevor Noah to promote his book Vacationland.
His return Tuesday continues a recent tradition of bringing former Daily Show correspondents back into the fold. Since Stewart himself returned to the show as its Monday night host in 2024, alumni including Jessica Williams, John Oliver, Olivia Munn, Al Madrigal, and Rob Corddry have all popped up in correspondent-style bits.
Watch Hodgman’s full Daily Show return at the top of this post.
