Jay Leno has shared his thoughts on Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, calling the results “a great day for democracy.”
The former Tonight Show host appeared on the CBS daytime show The Talk on Wednesday (November 6), the same day the former president declared victory over the Democratic nominee. Trump surpassed the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, as well as more than 50 percent of the popular vote.
“The nice thing about this election is it was fair, it was honest,” Leno told co-host Natalie Morales. “I was not a fan, but that’s okay. It’s the president of the United States, let’s all get together, thank you very much.”
“There was no cheating, everybody says it was honest,” he added, seemingly referring to Trump’s repeated claims that President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 was stolen from him. “It’s a great day for democracy.”
Elsewhere during Leno’s appearance, he reflected on his days hosting NBC’s The Tonight Show, from 1992 to 2009. The 74-year-old comedian claimed “it was different in my day” to host following an election because “you kind of made fun of both sides.”
“You got angry letters from both sides. Now you kind of have to take a side,” Leno admitted.
On Wednesday evening, late night hosts didn’t hold back their disappointment over Trump’s reelection to a second term in the White House. Jimmy Kimmel struggled to hold back tears at the start of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as he emphasized Trump’s 34 felony counts handed down earlier this year.
“We chose the criminal,” Kimmel said. “More than half of this country voted for the criminal who is planning to pardon himself for his crimes. I guess this election wasn’t rigged.”
While Kimmel found time for comedy, he grew emotional when he said: “It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.”
He continued: “It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on social security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the truth, and democracy and decency.
“And it was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him. And guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too – you just don’t realize it yet.”
Jimmy Fallon opted to roast Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, over their return to the White House as he joked that Americans had “decided to get back with their crazy ex.”
“No matter who you voted for, I think all Americans can agree it’s going to be a rough Thanksgiving,” he said on The Tonight Show. “Of course, Trump’s already super busy. First, he’s got to move all those classified documents back into the White House.
“Republicans were thrilled until they realized there is going to be four more years of Melania’s Christmas decorations.”
Meanwhile, The Daily Show host Desi Lydic simply had a five-word question for voters who elected the country’s first convicted felon as president: “What the actual f***, America?”
