Last night’s vice presidential debate was quite a bit less contentious than some late-night hosts hoped, but it would seem at least one show brought their own drama to the proceedings.
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the longtime late-night favorite who originated on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, was spotted among the media personalities and politicos in the spin room following the debate between candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.
Triumph and his handler Robert Smigel were there covering the event for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Given J.D. Vance’s fixation on the dogs (and cats) of Springfield, Ohio, the assignment certainly makes sense. (Triumph appeared on TDS back in June, and Smigel has since said he’d be doing more work with the character for the show.)
Triumph’s presence at the debate was first reported by CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who posted a photo of the puppet and Smigel on X/Twitter. Another individual in the photo appears to be Daily Show writer Matt O’Brien.
Hours after Tapper spotted the hound, Triumph was seen on CNN crashing Tapper’s live post-debate report. The dog was initially dressed as J.D. Vance’s “Mamaw” before Tapper discouraged that idea.
“We’re not gonna make fun of JD Vance’s grandmother, but we do appreciate the comic artistry of Robert Smigel and Triumph,” Tapper said on air.
Smigel acquiesced, but returned seconds later with the puppet dressed as Hulk Hogan, referencing the former wrestling star’s appearance at the Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump in July.
“How ’bout the Hulkster?,” Triumph asked. “I’m here to spin for JD Vance.”
On Instagram today, Smigel-as-Triumph commented on Tapper’s reluctance toward Triumph’s portrayal of Vance’s Mamaw, who was also depicted in the Netflix film Hillbilly Elegy. “Why jaketapper couldn’t allow JD Vance’s Mamaw (as played by Glenn Close and played by me) to photobomb his post-debate show in peace without being called out is beyond my comperhension [sic],” he wrote. “Meanwhile former Senator @clairecmc Claire McCaskill rightfully acknowledged that dogs are indeed an @msnbc bloviator’s best friend.”
Senator McCaskill recounted in an MSNBC interview with Rachel Maddow that she was initially denied access to the spin room despite the fact that “the dog puppet” from The Daily Show was about to be let in. McCaskill revealed that Smigel advocated for the senator to gain admittance before he himself did.
“If there’s one thing that can bring Americans together, I really feel like the dog puppet can,” Maddow concluded.
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s visit to the VP debate is expected to air tonight on The Daily Show.
