With both The Daily Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing live post-debate episodes last night, they were in a unique position to report some breaking news of their own.
Yes, we’re talking about Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, which she shared on social media late last night, following the debate.
It wasn’t exactly an exclusive for the late-night shows—cable news also covered it (hell, so did The New York Times). But Swift being an entertainer, and today’s late-night shows trafficking in the intersection of politics and entertainment, it was arguably the most appropriate venue.
The late-night shows also had the advantage of live, Harris-leaning studio audiences, by then lathered up by a fusillade of jokes mostly aimed at Donald Trump’s poor debate performance.
Coming back from commercial midway through last night’s Daily Show, Jon Stewart referred back to an earlier segment on the show as he relayed the news.
“So, we talked a little bit earlier about, you know, these debates: Do they even mean anything? Do they even do anything? Apparently they did move the needle enough for one undecided voter,” he said, turning to a card that had been handed to him. “A Miss Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris.”
WATCH: Jon Stewart, who's live tonight, just informed his studio audience that Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris. Huge cheers from the crowd, and a great rejoinder from Stewart. #Debatenight #swifties4kamala pic.twitter.com/dOsgQkLmJt
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) September 11, 2024
After enthusiastic cheers from his audience died down, a faux-giddy Stewart continued. “So, you know what this means… Um, Taylor Swift… and I… were watching TV, the same program, at the same time!”
Colbert, meanwhile, saved the news for the very end of his monologue.
“All in all, I believe tonight Harris gave one of the best debate performances I have ever seen,” he began. “And there was nothing—absolutely nothing—that could have made tonight any better for Kamala Harris.”
The resulting cutaway to a news report on Swift’s endorsement received a full 15 seconds of applause before Colbert added: “I stand corrected.”
WATCH: Colbert, who's live tonight, informs his studio audience that Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris. #Debatenight #swifties4kamala pic.twitter.com/jhZKEybpOb
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) September 11, 2024
One imagines this isn’t the last we’ll hear from our late-night hosts about Swift’s endorsement. While he won’t have the advantage of the news breaking in real-time, Seth Meyers is next up with a live post-debate show. NBC is airing his one-hour special, Closer Look Primetime, tonight at 10:00 p.m.
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