Among the late night personalities, Jimmy Fallon is not known for being particularly political. In fact, he’s actually spoken out about why he doesn’t really get into politics much on The Tonight Show in the past. Of late though, he’s dipped his toes in tepid water when it comes to Donald Trump jokes, and this week he unexpectedly dropped a zinger about the President of the United States and the behemoth box office run that has been Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has already hit some global box office milestones in recent weeks, and now it’s back with a domestic record. It’s beat Star War: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing movie domestically. The news was all over the interwebs before Jimmy Fallon busted out the fact on his late night show, but his commentary came with a little bit of flair and a Trump joke.

Ba-dump bump. That's pretty light fare for late night Trump content. Yet, it was an unexpected joke, to be sure, and it served a dual purpose, as Fallon then launched into a bit about the Kennedy Center also changing its name (but everyone still calling it the Kennedy Center). It was a good segue, and marked the comedian delving further into political jokes.

In general, the monologue on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Wednesday was honestly really funny. He kicked off with Spidey, worked into a bit about the Kennedy Center name change and Trump, and tied it all together with a really funny bit about US senator’s last names. If you didn’t give it a watch yet, it’s well worth it.

Fallon has earned a bit less ire from President Donald Trump than some of his fellow late night hosts like Stephen Colbert (whom Trump wildly spoke about after The Late Show ended), Jimmy Kimmel and even fellow network alum Seth Meyers. Of course, the NBC program hasn’t faced some of the same scrutiny from the FCC Jimmy Kimmel Live! and others have faced in recent months, but Trump did once call Fallon “talentless,” so he’s been a social media target before, too.

It’s a weird landscape out there right now, but at least Spider-Man is still out there killing it at the box office. Plus, we have the upcoming release of another Marvel movie, yes I'm talking about Avengers: Doomsday coming up. Whether Fallon will make connections to that film with the administration remains to be seen though! Stay tuned as the holidays roll around.

This week, The View hit a milestone, returning to the fall 2026 TV schedule for its 30th season on the air. However, the headlines have mostly not been about the show’s achievement (or the cast’s reported lack of raises despite said achievement) and instead most commented on Senator Ted Cruz getting booed when he appeared on the daytime TV program. However, there’s a more interesting thing to talk out about Ted Cruz's appearance.

The general consensus seems to be the show had him on as part of an “equal time” approach as the FCC and ABC have gone back and forth about the low number of conservative guests the show hosts each TV season. ABC and Disney have been facing FCC investigations in recent months, and ABC has pushed back about getting what the network perceives is unequal treatment by the government based on content.

Within this the sticking point for the FCC has been that The View does not provide “equal” treatment for both political parties. Last season, for example, the show barely hosted conservative guests, only asking Cheryl Hines and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green to appear. Of the two, Hines also said she had a bad time.

Meanwhile, the “equal time” rule is one that has been in effect for ages, but ABC and The View consider the series exempt due to it being a “bonafide news program.” We’ve previously rundown what that means, if you’re curious.

Ted Cruz Got Booed On The View

This brings us to Ted Cruz. The View returned to TV earlier this week, and on Wednesday the Texas Senator joined the show. Fans who tend to be enthusiastic for more liberal guests were seemingly unhappy with Cruz’s appearance, to the point where they booed the politician. Whoopi Goldberg actually had to tell them to chill out like two minutes into the episode, which again is what most people have latched onto.

The View moved on into daily topics and early interviews, but Whoopi was there again mid-episode to remind the audience to be respectful about the show’s conservative guest.

I can see why this garnered headlines, and it speaks to The View not having on many conservative guests, but to me it’s not remotely the most interesting thing about his appearance on the show.

The Most Interesting Bit: Why Ted Cruz Was Really On The View This Week

Believe it or not, but Ted Cruz has been a big advocate for The View as it has dealt with trouble with the current administration. Cruz is a proponent of free speech and intellectual freedom, and he actually said publicly back in April he was not in favor of what has been going on with ABC and the issues the network has had with shows like The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live! He flat out told Punchbowl News:

He’s also said the organization is not looking at the long game or what their moves could mean for cooperation between parties once another administration is in. He’s compared what the FCC is doing to Goodfellas, calling the organization “mafioso” and literally remarking, “That's right out of Goodfellas.” So, despite being pretty aligned with the current administration, his appearance on The View further highlights how he’s been willing to stick out when it comes to the issue of free speech.

To me, that’s the most interesting component of his appearance this week. Yes, he was on to promote his book, Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas. Yes, he was on during a time when the FCC and ABC are pushing each others’ buttons. And yes, he clearly appeared despite some people in The View audience not wanting him there. He came because he feels people have the right to voice their own opinions, and to speak to Walters' original vision, that’s also what The View should be all about.

Jimmy Kimmel made his return to late night last night, and as I hedged prior to its airing, his monologue was all over the comings and goings of President Donald Trump. He spoke of the war in Iran, the whole algae mess with the Lincoln Memorial and more. However, it was this first thing out of his mouth upon Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s return that had me shook: The show also hit a milestone episode last night.

Not that we would have known it if Kimmel hadn’t shouted it to the rooftops. When long-running shows like NCIS – which hit its 500th episode this year – hit major milestones, there’s usually a lot of lead-up and press in advance. That didn't happen in this case, and I was surprised when Kimmel kicked off with the announcement, but it makes sense.

Jimmy Kimmel’s been a late night host for the same number of years as NCIS, actually, with both premiering in 2003. Of course, late night produces a lot more episodes every year, even with the show taken hiatuses from time to time. Here’s what Kimmel had to say about hitting 4,000.

That’s a big number, and one that would have been worth celebrating no matter what. Yet, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has faced a large number of headwinds on the 2026 TV schedule and over the past year or so. The FCC’s been all over ABC and shows like Live! and The View and putting pressure on them in recent months. For its part, ABC has done work to push back on the current administration and maintain the intellectual freedom of its programs.

Despite this, in the last year Kimmel himself was suspended for a time before he saw his fellow late night series The Late Show wiped from existence. In the aftermath, Kimmel himself has admitted he feels late night has been “poisoned.”

So it’s salient the show was even airing last night, much less that the late night host cracked jokes about the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, and sarcastically joked about all the things that changed over the summer.

These are the moments that have garnered most of the headlines this morning, and you can see his full comments, below.

President Trump has made it clear he’s not a fan of the late night genre, though he didn’t have much to say when Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves last night. He has previously made comments about being shocked “ABC gave Kimmel his job back” after the suspension, calling the late night host “not funny” and hoping he’d “rot in his bad ratings.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings have actually been up since The Late Show with Stephen Colbert went off the airwaves. The loss of CBS’ program has been good news for both of the Jimmys, actually, but particularly Kimmel, who tends to take more of a political bent than Fallon. We'll have to wait and see how this week's episodes fare.

Kimmel ended his monologue joking about Trump’s low polling rates and the upcoming midterm elections, but it’s just him being here to hit that 4,000th episode milestone that’s sticking with me the most.

South Park made headlines this past weekend, and not for any wild scenes from the show. Comedy Central’s long-running original series were among the 2026 Emmy nominees this year and won the award for Outstanding Animated Program. This marks yet another major accolade for the series, and it was probably a given that the team behind the small-screen hit would react. Ultimately, the show did respond by revealing a rebrand, which serves as a rebuke to recent comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Trump recently sparked conversations by suggesting on social media that the state of New Mexico be renamed “New America.” This more than a year after POTUS’ executive order to have the “Gulf of America” serve as the new U.S. federal distinction for the Gulf of Mexico. And, even more recently, Trump ordered that one of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario, be renamed Lake America. With that, South Park seemed to nod to the latest name change by sharing a faux message from creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker:

For context, the mention of Google and Apple alludes to the fact that the two entities reflected the Gulf of America change in their respective maps. The marketing team also took things a step further not only by changing its social handles accordingly but by adding in a photo of the satirical show’s logo with an “America” label covering the “Park.” Check out the Instagram post, which also includes information about the show’s upcoming 29th season:

South Park’s latest dig at the president comes after its last few seasons lampooned him in a variety of ways. A subplot of Season 28, for example, sees an animated version of Trump in a relationship with Satan, who’s pregnant with their child. Many of these Trump digs have since gone viral, and he’s not the only member of his administration who’s been satirized over the past year.

Vice President JD Vance was also parodied on the show and, upon seeing that, Vance quipped, “Well, I’ve finally made it.” Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was displeased with how the series depicted her harming animals, deporting immigrants and using botox.

Historically, Parker, Stone and their colleagues haven’t shied away from spoofing political figures (as well as actors, singers and others). With that, the two EPs have spoken about being hated by both political parties at some point or another. Some wondered how their edgy brand of comedy would be received by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison after he became the head of the newly formed company in 2025. However, Ellison has praised Stone and Parker, calling them “equal opportunity offenders.”

As for how Ellison feels about the show now taking shots at President Trump’s orders, that’s unclear. If anything, though, what this celebratory rebrand post seems to suggest is that POTUS’ political positions could be a point of emphasis within the show. Fans will ultimately have to wait and see if that proves to be the case, though, when South Park Season 29 premieres on Wednesday, September 16th, at 10 p.m. ET/PT amid the 2026 TV schedule. Episodes will also be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve seen a bunch of big names sit behind the desk on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The ABC late night series drew some backlash after stars like Tiffany Haddish and Jelly Roll made political jokes, though this was in keeping with Kimmel’s own tone. It’s the latter, though, who is still dealing with pushback as the late night host prepares to sit behind his own desk once more.

Jimmy Kimmel Is Back On Live! This Week

Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air Tuesday, September 8th. Normally a host’s break and return to the air isn’t a huge story, but this year is a different sort of year. First, Kimmel’s been off ABC since June 18th. He's back after months of tumult that saw him get suspended and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert canceled. He's also been off the air for nearly three months. Not quite, but nearly. That’s a long time.

Secondly, while sometimes shows go into reruns while a host takes a summer break, this year ABC (mostly) tried something different. A slew of guest hosts stepped in and brought audiences new interview content over the last few months. Rosie O’Donnell guest hosted, despite formerly butting heads with Kimmel. Tiffany Haddish was on. So was Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, and finally, Jelly Roll.

The Latest In The Jelly Roll Kimmel Saga

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the “piping hot tea” surrounding Jelly Roll’s divorce is what was garnering the most headlines for the singer. Well, if he wanted people to be distracted from his celebrity divorce, he achieved it.When the latter hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live, he took a few cracks at President Donald Trump.

During several of Jelly Roll’s episodes, he made some quips about President Trump, including a few weight-related jokes. For example, one joke mentioned the singer had “lost an entire Donald Trump” before he later quipped, “Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important.” Jokes like these made headlines, and later monologues from the singer also addressed these headlines he’d been seeing online.

To note, this wasn’t the first time this has happened during Kimmel’s absence. Tiffany Haddish also threw out a joke about the current administration, and the White House responded. However, Jelly Roll has always prided himself on straddling the middle when it comes to politics, and some individuals have taken this as shots fired.

This week, a Blue Lives Matter post aggressively disinvited Jelly Roll to an upcoming event.

In a lengthy post on, X the event organizer said he is a Christian father who also, like Jelly Roll, used to be overweight, and knows how it “sucks to be the brunt of people’s jokes.” Because of this, the poster said he was not pleased with the way Jelly Roll handled his late night tenure, and made fat jokes involving the President of the United States.

It’s unclear if Jelly Roll would have actually even attended this event, but for his part, he’d actually addressed why he took that bent on late night more than a week ago on the air. Then, on August 28th, he also wrote:

Jelly Roll’s tenure is done now, and Kimmel will be back tonight with Andrew Garfield and Joey King (hopefully method dressing for Practical Magic 2!) as guests. Regardless, the true ABC late night host has been making jokes similar to these for months now, and even took some major Trump digs when the Knicks won just a few days before his hiatus. We’ll have to wait and see if the administration is in the line of fire tonight, but if you’re putting money down, I don’t think you’d be making a bad bet.

I’ve enjoyed the performances of quite a few Saturday Night Live cast members over the past several seasons, from breakout star Ashley Padilla to the long-serving Kenan Thompson. Someone else who deserves props for their work is James Austin Johnson, who’s become particularly famous for his impression of U.S. President Donald Trump. Considering how the imitation has taken off, Austin has now reached the point at which fans approach him in public, and I can’t get over what some of them say to him.

Austin is far from the first person to mimic Donald Trump on SNL, as the likes of Darrell Hammond and Alec Baldwin (who won an Emmy for his work on the show) have as well. I’d argue, however, that Austin’s portrayal has hit the cultural zeitgeist in an even stronger way. Anyone who needs evidence of that should listen to what Johnson shared during his recent appearance on the Downside Podcast (part of which was shared to TikTok). The comic specifically explained what it’s like meeting older fans who approach him near his home:

Honestly, a part of me can’t tell if he’s joking but, even if he’s overexaggerating, I just find this too funny. I can also easily see some older admirers coming up to the Tennessee native and sharing their takes on his depiction of POTUS. Such reactions fall in line with the praise Johnson has received for his take on Trump, which emphasizes the businessman-turned-reality TV star-turned-politician’s stream of consciousness. For an example of what Austin’s take looks like, check out this cold open from Season 51:

Despite Johnson’s humorous take on the attention, it’s fair to wonder if he’s afraid of Donald Trump. He previously answered that during an appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, Johnson asserted that he had “never been afraid of anything ever.” From the A Complete Unknown actor’s vantage point, he’s “doing a version of [Trump] that I feel is sustainable.” In his recent podcast interview, he also said he didn’t believe Trump supporters felt “targeted” by his comedy due to it not being aimed at them.

Johnson is a man of many talents, though, as he's made great contributions to a number of other sketches during his tenure at SNL, which began back in 2021. What’s ironic is that as great as Johnson is as Trump, he claims the show won’t let him do his best impression: Rolling Stone editor David Fricke. Austin has been trying to pitch it for a while, it seems, and I hope his efforts are eventually successful.

More immediately, I’m looking forward to seeing James Austin Johnson back on stage at Studio 8H, where he’ll once again don the suit, prosthetics and hair piece to play the Commander-in-Chief. There’s no telling what Johnson might be called upon to do as Trump in order to keep up with the ever-flowing political landscape. Whatever the case, though, I expect the actor will continue to field responses from fans and roll with them as they come.

Saturday Night Live Season 52 premieres on NBC on September 26 amid the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, warm up for Johnson’s reprisal of Trump by streaming past episodes with a Peacock subscription.

Several celebrities have been filling in for Jimmy Kimmel on late-night this summer, with the most recent being country music singer Jelly Roll. The heavily tattooed artist has been delighting many fans of Jimmy Kimmel Live! with his monologues and celebrity interviews (including one where Glen Powell revealed him as a “complete maniac”). However, others have taken issue with his jokes about Donald Trump, and Jelly Roll responded to those critics.

How Jelly Roll Responded To People Being Surprised About His Trump Jokes

It’s no secret that Jimmy Kimmel is no fan of Donald Trump’s, and people are used to hearing jabs when they tune into the increasingly popular ABC late-night show. However, with Kimmel on hiatus, it seems like people might not have anticipated his guest hosts to deliver the same level of biting commentary.

On one of his monologues this week, Jelly Roll pointed out the absurdity of this thinking by showing a recent headline that read: “Jelly Roll Stuns Jimmy Kimmel Live Audience With Multiple Jabs at Trump: ‘Didn’t See This Coming.’” The singer’s response?

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, laughed at the recent turn of events, asking who would have guessed that he’d cause more backlash with Trump supporters than Rosie O’Donnell (who preceded Jelly Roll as a Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest host). He said:

He went on to say that any president should be able to handle some jokes at their expense, as it’s been a late-night tradition — not just on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — to rib people in positions of power. Jelly Roll said:

So what did Jelly Roll say in previous monologues that had people up in arms?

What Did Jelly Roll Say About Donald Trump That Upset People?

Jelly Roll pulled no punches in his early-week monologues, as he joked about Donald Trump’s flag-waving skills at the weekend’s IndyCar race before discussing reports from the president’s recent physical that say he weighs almost 240 pounds. Jelly Roll said:

Most of the backlash does seem to come from Jelly Roll’s comments about the president’s weight, but given his own journey, he’s mostly laughed off the backlash, saying in an ensuing monologue that he thought “fat-on-fat crime was OK.”

Any negative reactions haven’t stopped the jokes from coming, so if you want to tune in to see what he’ll say next, keep watching Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the 2026 TV schedule for the rest of this week at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen has been a big topic of conversation of late. The show’s been on the air since 2006, with some breaks during that time, but it’s only been over the last several months that significantly more eyeballs were directed at the show and its host, the titular Byron Allen.

The reason? Byron Allen is occupying the slot The Late Show owned until just a couple of months ago, and there’s been a large debate about CBS taking money from Allen for the show, marking a different TV model. Separately, there’s also been a debate about why Stephen Colbert’s show was canceled in the first place, and Trump’s distaste for The Late Show has often cropped up in that conversation.

In a heated conversation, NPR journalist Ailsa Chang kept asking Byron Allen if he was asked by CBS and Paramount to not engage in any political humor, to which Allen kept repeating “absolutely not.” Instead, he says it’s a bent he’s stuck with for many years before taking over the slot formerly occupied by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Per the late night personality, this has been the idea for what his series should be for years, not just since he took over The Late Show’s timeslot. He’s getting asked about politics, because some hedged the administration was the entity who wanted it canceled and CBS acquiesced. Stephen Colbert was actually asked about this political rumor before his exit.

As part of the conversation, Byron Allen also mentioned competing with Seth Meyers prior to the changeover and how statistically the numbers for Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen were statistically beating the show it used to compete with.

Allen’s said for a while he wanted to create Comics Unleashed for his comedian buddies twenty years ago because he didn’t feel at the time there was a good forum to get out diverse voices. In the time since, the show has had all kinds of comedians from different walks of life, backgrounds, you name it, come on the show. They’ve been taping the show for a long time, and he wants to “be clear” CBS is not giving them notes.

It has to be difficult to be the guy coming in to take over for a late night series with iconic status. It doesn’t help he’s the mastermind behind a model that will make CBS money even if it only does OK. Allen’s said he doesn’t want to “replace Colbert,” and I appreciate he wants to make the whole thing work longterm, though CBS has seen some viewers pivot away to the Jimmys after Colbert was done on the air.

But if you are expecting politics, you will not be getting it, despite having comedians from different backgrounds on the series. This is just Allen’s bent. It’s not like Jimmy Fallon is out there getting overly political (though I’d argue he’s dipping his toes in more lately). We all need to find our niche, and a lot of the hosts are looking to figure out their space after The Late Show ended. All of late night is feeling it.

The back and forth between President Donald Trump and most of the individuals on the late night scene is pretty legendary at this point. Trump’s been candid about being happy after Stephen Colbert’s Late Show wrapped, even staying up until 2 a.m. to post he was happy the man with “No talent, no ratings, no life” was “finally finished” at CBS. He’s taken shots at Seth Meyers, who has said he knows the President wants late night cancelled. And there is no love lost between The White House and Jimmy Kimmel, either.

Kimmel was recently asked about how he feels about the status of late night, and to be honest, he doesn’t sound particularly bullish. When THR asked him what it “will take to save the future of late night television,” he gave a very succinct response. In fact, it was eight words about the current administration.

This isn’t even close to the first time Kimmel has joked about the Trump administration, particularly given the implications of what was going on behind-the scenes during his brief suspension. Or his and parent network ABC’s dealings with the FCC afterwards.

So, What Is Going On With Late Night?

There’s no question the TV landscape is shifting and late night television has seen maybe the most sweeping change in recent years. It all probably started back in 2021 when Conan O’Brien said goodbye to late night on TBS. A couple of years later, James Corden followed suit, with CBS wrapping The Late Late Show in April of 2023. Perhaps we should have seen the writing on the wall then with late night, but I never really considered the possibility the big late night behemoths could get canceled in my lifetime.

A report that came out after the Stephen Colbert cancelation announcement has indicated late night revenue is way, way down in recent years. The report about the late night revenue stated it had dropped from $439 million in 2018 to just $220 million in 2024. Presumably, the numbers have fallen even more in the years since.

If late night were to end, Kimmel would be fine. The man has a good relationship with ABC, and currently also makes time to host Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He really believes in Millionaire, too. But it doesn’t sound like Jimmy Kimmel Live! getting unceremoniously canceled is anywhere near the outcome he wants, either.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Since The Late Show ended on CBS, the ratings for the Jimmys have ticked up. This has particularly been true of Kimmel’s show. Fallon tends to be less political on the air, and the appetite right now seems to indicate people want what Jimmy Kimmel is selling, and Kimmel is often selling the viewpoint that our administration is attacking free speech and “poisoning” late night. So, I'm not particularly surprised his response to what it will take to “save late night” follows that bent, as well.

Madame Web was not critically well-liked and it didn’t do so well when it hit theaters back in 2024. Dakota Johnson said “unfortunately” she was not surprised the Sony/Marvel film was a flop (though it did do well on Netflix later). However, I don’t think anyone involved with the movie probably saw it coming when it took random shrapnel during a segment about Donald Trump and his approval ratings on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Meyers’ monologues have often been political, and a few days ago, he took one of his “Closer Look” segments to focus on Donald Trump’s approval ratings. The bit looked at two polls, one from CNN that had Trump at a 27% approval rating and on from Quinnipiac that had Trump up a paltry 2% at 29%. Meyers kicked off the segment by introducing what was going on with Trump's White House and more.

These are low numbers for Trump, who has been facing headlines for everything from allegedly sleeping during one of the wildly priced Knicks finals games (celebs got in for free) to asking what the word “affordability” means over the last couple of months amidst food and housing crises in the U.S. Instances like these have seen his approval ratings lower, and Seth Meyers gave audiences a comparison many could understand.

The late night host then shared a graphic of Trump dancing with webs shooting out of his wrists, very a la Spider-Man, which I suppose is topical with Brand New Day out in recent days (and decidedly not a flop). Take a look.

I’m sure when S.J. Clarkson was putting Madame Web together, she did not expect to be the butt of a late night joke more than a year later, but here we are. This isn’t exactly the first time Meyers has poked fun at the President of the United States. He’s incurred the ire of Donald Trump on more than one occasion, including after Trump called for late night to be cancelled.

For his part, Trump has personally called Meyers someone with “no ratings, talent, or intelligence” so the jabs seem to be mutual. It’s not just Meyers the President has disapproved of, of course. When The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended, Trump gleefully wrote, “You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk.” Now, ratings seem to be up for the Jimmys in Colbert’s wake, and Meyers is still trucking while Trump’s approval ratings fall. We’ll have to wait and see what happens next.

Several news and broadcast networks recently had to make tweaks to the 2026 TV schedule to accommodate for President Donald Trump’s latest televised speech to the rest of the nation. Not everyone chose to make such changes, however, with ABC and NBC opting to air their regularly scheduled programming instead. Perhaps unsurprisingly, such decisions caught the attention of the FCC and chairman Brendan Carr, and he had something to say about it.

During a press conference held on July 22 (via Variety), Carr stated that in regards to the ongoing probes into ABC’s talk show programming and broadcast licenses, his agency will be taking into consideration the network execs’ choice to not air Trump’s live speech in favor of a new episode of Press Your Luck. Carr noted that the FCC's review of ABC's licenses is for the purpose of evaluating 'whether they've been operating in the public interest," which also ties into the agency's stance on whether The View amounts to a news interview program, and whether it should have to adhere to partisan equality with its guests.

Carr stated his own feelings on the matter in saying:

ABC wasn't the only broadcaster who veered away from POTUS' latest non-SOTU address. NBC also chose to go forward with pre-planned programming, which in its case was a repeat episode of The Americas. Given how focused the FCC has been on ABC ever since Jimmy Kimmel's suspension in September 2025, NBC may have less to worry about. Or maybe not, since Trump himself called out both of the networks during the speech itself and said their licenses should be revoked.

Prior to that evening, reports surfaced pointing to both ABC and NBC being skittish about airing the speech amidst rumors that the President would once again echo past debunked claims about the 2020 election. Which he did.

During the FCC's press conference, the agency's sole Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez voiced the argument that Carr's comments went against the Constitution's top amendment, saying:

The FCC's review into ABC and others is set to culiminate on August 6, when it will also vote on whether or not to repeal limits on TV station ownership, which has been in place to stop owners from handling stations in higher than than 39% of markets. If the cap is eliminated, that would likely mean a boon for the company Nexstar, owner of The CW and Newsnation, which was recently stopped by a federal court from going through with plans to acquire station owner Tegna.

How much will that vote affect the future of ABC and its talk shows? It's impossible to know at this point, and audiences will have to wait until August to learn more.

Jimmy Kimmel’s been taking a break this summer amid the 2026 TV schedule but, amid his absence, a roster of celebrity guest hosts are filling in for him. The first host up at bat was comedian Tiffany Haddish, who hosted during the week of July 6. During her latest stint headlining Live!, Haddish managed to ruffle a few feathers like Kimmel himself, doing so by making a joke about U.S. President Donald Trump. Her comment even sparked a response from the White House, and we’re going to lay this out.

What Did Tiffany Haddish Say About President Trump, And How Did The White House Respond?

Donald Trump made headlines earlier this month when he intervened in Team USA’s involvement in the World Cup. Per reports, President Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask that he review the red card suspension issued to the team’s star forward, Folarin Balogun. On July 5, Balogun’s suspension was reversed, though the U.S. men’s national team was ultimately dealt a 4-1 loss against Belgium on July 6. During Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s July 7th episode, Haddish poked fun at the Commander in Chief:

At this point, the White House has provided comments on ways in which POTUS and members of his administration have been referenced on TV. For example, the WH spoke out about comments that The View’s hosts made about the president. There have even been unprompted responses from the administration regarding pop culture events, with the White House even reacting to Taylor Swift’s wedding. When it came to the Tiffany Haddish situation, WH spokesperson David Ingle simply said this to USA Today:

Much of social media seemed to take that as shade being thrown at the Masked Singer contestant. But that wasn’t the end of the discussion.

How Did Tiffany Haddish Respond To The White House’s Comment

After Ingle's comment made the rounds, Haddish responded on Live!’s July 8th episode, saying. Needless to say, she didn’t mince words when sharing her thoughts on the perceived slight:

Despite all that, Haddish also said that the notion of being called out by the White House was “exciting” for her. As she put it, it’s “the day that I finally become Jimmy Kimmel.” Of course, Haddish’s comment references the fact that Kimmel has been engaged in more than a few situations involving the president. It was for that reason that Trump responded positively when Kimmel’s show was suspended in 2025 due to comments he made about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. Earlier this year, Kimmel also drew backlash for saying First Lady Melania Trump looked like “an expectant widow.” Those comments notably came days before the alleged assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and Kimmel later defended his comment.

Before he went on vacay, Kimmel lined up some other notable guest hosts, including Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson and Jelly Roll. Kimmel also notably asked fellow Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell to host later this summer as a “treat” for the president. With that, one has to wonder if O’Donnell (or any other guest host) will follow in Tiffany Haddish’s and Kimmel’s footsteps by making jokes at Trump’s expense.

Nearly a year after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged and in the wake of months of speculation and rumors, they are officially married. They tied the knot in Madison Square Garden on July 3, and they let the world know it happened by plastering it on a bright pink billboard outside The Garden. Now, people are having strong reactions to it, with some calling it cringe. However, The White House’s response to this event has led to big reactions too.

Some People Really Didn’t Like Taylor Swift’s Wedding Announcement

Since people were tracking wedding guests, like Selena Gomez and Donna Kelce, ahead of the wedding, it was pretty obvious that it really was going to happen in New York City on July 3. Then, seeing lots of A-list guests walk into Madison Square Garden further confirmed that. However, it was made official that Swift and Kelce had said “I do” when this billboard popped up outside Madison Square Garden:

As you can see, it’s a cheeky and cute way to announce the news (in my opinion), as the T&T in the “Just” nods to the couple’s initials. Of course, Swifties were stoked about this announcement and left comments on MSG’s Instagram like, “Baby, she said yes!” However, others were not here for it, as many on Reddit called it “tacky”:

• This is so fucking tacky. -AbsolutelyIris
• My first thought. Tacky, desperate and classless. -mhmcmw
• That pink sign looks horrible lol so tacky -izoldi

Over on X, there were also plenty of reactions to this announcement, as people commented things like:

• Refused to comment on this wedding until now but “just&t married!” has to be the worst thing i’ve seen yet. be so fr -kyle
• No words how pathetic this is 😭 -Dan21x
• Does anyone else find this just a bit nauseating -Frank

Overall, reactions to this billboard are all over the place, which is what tends to happen when Taylor Swift releases a project (I remember the The Tortured Poets Department reactions) or does anything big. However, this wedding was so massive, it even got a reaction from the White House. People have strong feelings about its over-the-top post, too.

However, The White House’s Response Also Led To Strong Reactions

After it was announced that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were officially married, The White House took to X to react. President Donald Trump’s team posted a photo of the MSG billboard and photoshopped it to say:

That message replaced the “JusT&T married” sign. Then, like people’s reactions to the original billboard, folks on X had passionate things to say about this version of it, writing things like:

• This is the cringiest collapse of a nation in real time -Jamie Bonkiewicz
• Wouldn’t it be nice if for one day the White House just, I don’t know…. White housed? -Adam Kinzinger
• Stop it 👇😂😂😂 -Vince Langman
• lol what the hell is this -Matt Verderame
• Embarrassing ass shit from the White House, day 478992 -lindsey ok

Again, much like Swift’s initial announcement, The White House’s reaction was met with varying reactions.

This also came after The White House’s X account posted an image that is clearly inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour poster, but featured photos from American history as well as images of Trump. That was followed by a video that featured a banner that read “The American Era,” while the caption read: “NEXT ON AMERICA’S ERAS TOUR.” This all comes as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary. Plus, while Swift’s wedding was on the 3rd in New York City, down in Washington D.C., Trump will hold a “TRUMP RALLY” and the “LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY” on the 4th.

Notably, the pop star and Trump have been critical of each other, and Swift endorsed Kamala Harris during the last presidential election.

Now, with all that being said, I’m sure people will have more things to say about both versions of this billboard. Meanwhile, I’m also sure Swift and Kelce are celebrating their big day, while America celebrates its milestone anniversary.

There’s been an ongoing chorus over the last several months after CBS announced it had canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that the move was made for political reasons. Things came to a head to the point where the man himself commented on whether or not politics were involved, noting his “side of the street" was "clean.” This obviously didn’t quiet the noise. Now, one longtime reporter shares his take on what he really thinks is happening.

But First, Some CBS And Trump Administration Backstory

Critics of the administration have alleged two things in relation to the cancelation of The Late Show. The first is the way CBS settled a lawsuit for $16 million involving Kamala Harris that paved the way for the Paramount/Skydance merger. Colbert criticized the move on his show, and it was canceled shortly thereafter. Secondly, Trump has made his dislike for late night no secret. Jimmy Kimmel has taken flak. Seth Meyers has taken flak. And Trump even shared an AI video of himself kicking Colbert into a big green dumpster.

This video is still up and available for public consumption on the X(Twitter) profile of the President of the United States.

At the time of this writing, the video has been viewed 100.8 million times.

It Was This Video That Prompted One Late Night Reporter To Speak Out

It was this viral moment that one longtime late night reporter feels is evidence Trump was involved in the ousting of Stephen Colbert at CBS. During a segment on MSN, NYT reporter Bill Carter opened up about the video and why he feels it is “not a good development for the country.”

He went on to talk about CBS as a network in general, noting he feels the network should never have capitulated when it came to the aforementioned interview with Kamala Harris, which the Trump administration had alleged deceptive editing over. A lawsuit ensued, and while CBS issued no apology, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle. The money will allegedly go toward Trump's Presidential Library.

Colbert had commented on this suit on the air, and he said later he was told via phone call he'd been axed. He'd been taking a nap before his show hit the airwaves when the call came in from his agent with the news. CBS CEO George Cheeks only called him later.

Meanwhile, CBS has increasingly taken flak for the way 60 Minutes and other news programming has been handled under Bari Weiss. Scott Pelley has specifically been vocal about "political bias" and the newcomer changing the integrity of the news at the network. Former CBS News Senior Vice President Betsy West went so far as to claim, "Everything she's touched has turned to shit."Amidst firings, Anderson Cooper also stepped down. (Though that was allegedly for personal reasons.)

The Late Show has now ended, but CBS is still in the news and not just producing the news on a regular basis. We'll keep you posted as the summer wears on.

As Sean Combs (long known by his rapper moniker, Diddy) remains in prison, he and his legal team have been taking steps to have his sentence overturned. Due to an expedited appeal process, Combs’ team have already had their oral arguments heard by a three-judge panel, and they’re waiting for a decision. Before all that, Combs (56) and co. hoped he’d be pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, but that didn’t pan out. Now, however, insiders are dropping claims about why Diddy’s still optimistic about getting clemency from POTUS.

Sources Drop Claims About Why Diddy Is Still Eyeing A Trump Pardon

There were initially conflicting reports about whether Combs’ camp actually sought a pardon from President Trump, and the commander-in-chief confirmed this past January that he’d received a handwritten note. Boxer Mike Tyson allegedly handed that paper to the president at the White House last fall on the ex-rapper’s behalf. While Trump later denied the request, it’s now been alleged that the “Best Friend” performer is banking on his “history” with Trump to help him get a pardon. An insider claims:

For years, Combs and Trump ran within the same high-society circles in New York, and they rubbed shoulders multiple times. The president himself even admitted to being “friendly” with Combs during the early aughts. Despite the pardon denial, a second insider claims to Shuter’s Naughty or Nice stubstack Grammy winner reportedly still thinks he has a chance, because he personifies a specific quality Trump “respects”:

Over the last few months, the White House hasn’t shared any further comment on the possibility of Sean Combs being pardoned. It’s worth noting that the Trump Administration has issued its share of leniency before, and that’s apparently what sparked optimism within Diddy’s camp in the first place.

What Did President Trump Say About Possibly Pardoning Diddy After Others Received Leniency?

The Trump Administration made headlines in 2025 for legally excusing a number of notable public figures. Among those who received pardons were reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, rapper NBA YoungBoy, actor and comedian Jay Johnston and former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Those pardons were handed out over the first several months of that year and, in time, speculation arose about what that could mean for Diddy, who was about to head to trial for alleged sex-trafficking at the time.

President Trump initially said he was unsure whether he’d extend a pardon to Diddy and that he’d have to look deeper into the situation. It was around that time that Combs’ rival, 50 Cent, declared he would do whatever he could to prevent Trump from freeing the Sean John founder. Trump was later quizzed about his past relationship with Diddy, and it was during that chat that he made the “friendly” comments. POTUS also noted that Combs made some “terrible statements” about him during his first presidential campaign. Trump was later asked point-blank if a pardon for Diddy would be “more likely a no,” after which the politician said, “I’d say so.”

Based on comments made by sources, though, Combs allegedly still “believes there’s another move left to make.” As for his views on the president, a source claims the music producer was “fascinated by Trump” and “viewed him as the ultimate dealmaker.” Comments made by another insider also aligned with those sentiments:

As the odds of a Trump pardon remain unclear, Sean Combs is serving a four-year prison sentence due to having been convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He’s serving that time at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey following his transfer from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Combs is currently set to be released from the penitentiary on February 23, 2028.

Impersonating a celebrity, especially on a show as popular as Saturday Night Live, is always a tricky thing. While some famous faces take the parodies with good humor, there are plenty, however, who make it clear they’re not happy about being the butt of the joke. As you can imagine, it can be emotionally complicated trying to figure out how mean to be, and it can be especially complicated when you’re impersonating the President of The United States.

Just a handful of people in Saturday Night Live’s history understand that unique burden, and right now, that heaviness is weighing on James Austin Johnson’s shoulders. After Alec Baldwin was replaced following President Trump’s defeat in 2020, Johnson went in a very different direction with his take. His version is still biting but feels like more of a fully realized human than Baldwin’s more aggressively mean-spirited caricature. That was an intentional decision, and according to Johnson, it’s one he thinks is a lot more sustainable.

During a recent appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival, Johnson was asked if he’s afraid of President Trump. Busting out his impression, he talked about how the politician once referenced him at a rally during a larger rant about Alec Baldwin. After calling the former actor a “sick puppy,” he said he heard SNL has a new comedian doing the impression who is pretty good but that he doesn't watch the show.

Johnson then pivoted back to the original question and gave a really honest answer about where comedy is at right now and finding something that’s sustainable.

A lot of people have played Donald Trump at one point or another during the show’s long history, but there are three impressions that had real staying power and were done for extended periods of time. Darrell Hammond played Trump before he was a politician and mostly angled his take to be more of a goofy, over the top pop culture salesman. It was Trump as a larger than life character, and it was the one impression Trump himself really enjoyed. He’s talked publicly about how much he liked it.

Once Trump became a more serious political figure, the show rolled out a new take from Alec Baldwin. He played Trump as a snarling and almost inhuman figure. He contorted his body to be almost hunched and really exaggerated his vocal inflections. It was an impression clearly designed to be as vicious and biting as possible. Not surprisingly, Trump was very open about how much he hated his take and how terrible he thought it was.

Johnson’s version blends the two together in a more grounded way. Much of the material itself is still rife with social commentary and opinion, but when you watch Johnson, it feels 90 percent like the actual person we’re seeing in the White House. It does a better job capturing the President’s humor and some of the charisma that got him elected twice in the first place. The goal of the comedy seems to be more reliant on the sharpness of the writing and the accuracy of the impression, rather than the over-the-top nature.

Personally, I think Johnson’s version makes the impression better. It feels like it has less of an obvious agenda, which makes everyone, regardless of political leanings, more likely to pay attention and not write it off. That being said, it seems like based on his comments that some of that move to the middle may be a calculated choice to keep the show and himself from generating the amount of vitriol that Baldwin and the show received during his tenure.

You can watch Johnson’s answer below in a video from Entertainment Weekly that’s going around on social media…

SNL hasn’t made any official decisions for Season 52, but it’s widely expected that Johnson will be back to play the President. There was some initial skepticism when he took over the biggest role on the show, but within a few episodes, fans overwhelmingly got on board with what he’s doing. I can’t imagine the show wanting to go find someone else, and besides, it seems like Johnson is starting to find his footing with the rest of the show, as well. Besides he’s started appearing more in non-Trump sketches and has some nice upside, mostly as a straightman playing off some of his flashier costars.

The New York Knicks’ NBA Finals run has sparked major buzz amid the 2026 TV schedule, as fans seemed hyped about the prospect of the beloved team winning a championship title. With that, various devotees have been making their way to Madison Square Garden to watch the games, including superfan Timothée Chalamet and the highly enthusiastic Mariska Hargitay. Most notably, U.S. President Donald Trump attended Game 3 and, after he missed Game 4, Jimmy Fallon surprisingly had some jokes.

Unlike some of his late-night TV cohorts, Fallon isn’t known for getting overtly political during his monologues, so it was somewhat unexpected to see him drop a few zingers at POTUS’ expense. Fallon addressed the Knicks’ latest matchup against the San Antonio Spurs during the opening monologue of the June 11th edition of The Tonight Show. Fallon set up his first joke by talking about the high cost of tickets before delivering the punchline:

President Trump’s trip to MSG initiated a lot of discussions about the merits of the Commander-in-Chief being present at such an event and how it might impact the proceedings. Trump went viral while taking in the game and, when introduced during the event, he was booed by other attendees. Ultimately, the Knicks lost that game to the Spurs, and some pundits, including sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, blamed that on Trump’s presence. As for Fallon, he merely joked about Trump’s absence from Game 4:

That jab referenced the fact that President Trump ironically fell asleep while taking in Game 3, which was actually a relatively tense game. Although Fallon took shots (no basketball pun intended) at the president, he didn’t spend too much time roasting the commander-in-chief. In fact, during that same episode, Fallon later spoke more about the Knicks, specifically his own experience sitting courtside at the event. Check out Fallon’s take:

As it stands, the aforementioned NBA team is doing what it can to keep the stars present at MSG, as the organization is apparently giving away free tickets to celebrities. The notion is that the presence of A-listers is meant to add to the entertainment value of attending a game. I could certainly imagine that team owner James Dolan and co. are getting their money’s worth, given we’ve reached the point where even Taylor Swift is showing up to root on the Knicks. It’s possible that more than a few Knicks fans could show up at Game 5 in San Antonio, as the New York-based team has the chance to clinch the title then.

Otherwise, the action will return to MSG for a potential Game 6 and, if the Knicks were to hoist the coveted Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at home, that arena would be even more electric than it’s already been. Whether or not President Trump would make another trip to NY for that theoretical game is hard to say. If that happens, though, viewers may want to keep their eyes peeled in case Jimmy Fallon or other late-night personalities have thoughts (and jokes).

Game 5 of the NBA Finals airs Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

It’s clear Donald Trump has taken a unique interest in Late Night during his second tenure as President of the United States. Trump recently made a mean-spirited comment about Stephen Colbert’s final episode, and he’s taken similar shots at Seth Meyers, NBC and other late night hosts in recent months. While Colbert was doing exit press after his CBS series was canceled, someone actually asked him about the Trump stuff, and he has one recurring feeling.

Namely, the dude “needs to know how to pick his battles.” In an interview with People, he explained he has never seen his job on late night as breaking news. In fact, he thinks of himself and his fellow late night hosts as “clowns.” An amusing picture blooms when he says that, but it explains why he doesn’t remotely begin to understand the interest the administration has shown in the circus.

Colbert went on to note he’s speaking both “metaphorically” and “literally.” While he’s found the current administration’s distaste for late night to be a curiosity, it doesn’t sound like he is particularly worried about further ramifications. This is particularly true now The Late Show is officially off the air.

While he says he’s not afraid of the current government, it’s worth pointing out that some rumors have circulated noting CBS’ decision may have had ties to the political sphere. The network has said the decision was purely “financial” and has come at a time when late night shows are no longer cash cows. It’s certainly true that advertising revenue is down across the late night spectrum.

This isn’t Stephen Colbert’s problem anymore, however. Next up, he’s already landed a gig writing a new Lord of the Rings movie with Peter Jackson, and if that isn’t a lucrative proposition, I don’t know what is. After LOTR Colbert could always get back to his interviewing roots if he wished. Letterman’s done that on Netflix in a much more leisurely format, but I almost wonder if Colbert will continue in more of a behind-the-scenes role.

I like this idea of Colbert going back to his roots as a writer. Maybe it’s the glasses? I don’t know, but it feels fittingly full circle for his career.

President Trump has made his dislike of Stephen Colbert abundantly clear over the last few years; so, it should surprise absolutely no one that the Commander-In-Chief used the last episode of the comedian’s show to express that hatred one more time. Early this morning, he hopped onto social media and let it rip, saying the comedian was “like a dead person” and “a jerk.”

The post was a little shorter than some of the rants President Trump has gone on in the past, but as always, it did not mince words. You can check out the full quote below, which appeared on Truth Social…

Colbert took over The Late Show franchise from David Letterman, who retired in 2015. The former Colbert Report host was always been more political than his predecessor, but over the last several years, he’s gotten increasingly vocal about President Trump and his policies. CBS didn’t seem to have a problem with the show’s direction, but as it became clear the company was going to merge with Skydance last year, some wondered whether Colbert would be able to coexist with new CEO David Ellison, who is widely perceived to have a friendly relationship with President Trump.

The two were apparently on semi-decent terms, but nonetheless, last summer, Colbert and those working at The Late Show were told this current season would be the last in a surprise decision that shocked the industry. Exactly why the decision was made, however, is a matter of hot debate. Rumors have swirled about the show allegedly losing money, and rumors have swirled about those at the top allegedly not enjoying how vocal the host is politically. We’ll likely never know the full story.

Regardless of why it happened, the extended runway emboldened Colbert to get even more political during his final months, and President Trump, who had always been vocal about his dislike for Colbert (and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel), regularly took to social media to respond or sometimes just proactively go off about how much he disliked the comedian. The President openly celebrated on social media when the ending announcement was first made, and it only seems fitting he’d do the same thing following the last show.

It’s unclear what exactly Colbert is going to do long-term. He’s shared his short-term plans, which involve attending a wedding and his son’s graduation, but beyond that, I would imagine he’ll take a little time for himself. Working on a late-night show every single day is grueling.

I can imagine wanting to take some naps after that, but at some point, whenever he’s ready to get his hands dirty again, I’d have to imagine many of the studios will be interested in joining forces, even if it’s not for a traditional daily late night show. His fanbase is going to want to hear from him again, and when that does happen, I have to imagine President Trump is going to have something to say about it.

If you missed Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show, fortunately, you can still watch it. It’s available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription and is a fitting send-off for one of the great late-night comedians, which also includes appearances from Paul McCartney and a slew of other celebrities, including Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Stewart and many of the other late-night hosts.

Donald Trump has been a recurring character on Saturday Night Live since Phil Hartman started impersonating him in the late 1980s. Since 2015, however, he’s gone from occasionally showing up to being the most consistent character on the show. Between Darrell Hammond, Alec Baldwin, James Austin Johnson, President Trump himself (he hosted) and others, he’s been featured more than a hundred times. That makes sense given he’s the President and most famous person on Earth, but you could also make a case that SNL has relied on him a little too heavily to scratch the political itch. Thankfully, we got a good reminder this past weekend that he’s not needed for every political sketch.

The cold open of the Olivia Rodrigo episode of SNL 51 was all about politics, but it did not include President Trump, at least outside of references. Instead, it featured Colin Jost doing his terrific impression of Secretary Of War Pete Hegseth, which is basically just a combination of him bullying the press with middle school insults and making outrageous claims like getting a tattoo of Jesus choking out Jimmy Kimmel. He was joined by guest star Aziz Ansari who gave us a really fun take on FBI Director Kash Patel, which featured a lot of hilarious denials to really specific allegations.

Together, the two gave a press conference which provided an opportunity to comment on recent events, which is the sort of basic structure we often get from a President Trump sketch. It was refreshing to see that done with different voices. You can watch it below…

To be clear, James Austin Johnson is fantastic as President Trump. I liked Hammond and Baldwin’s versions, but his take is, in my opinion, the best we’ve ever gotten from the show. It really captures the essence of the businessman turned politician, from his comedic timing to his stream of consciousness detours to the relationships with many of his subordinates. It’s fantastic, and I want to see it on a regular basis for as long as President Trump is a main character in our lives.

One impression cannot be the totality of SNL’s political coverage though. To be fair, the show obviously talks about President Trump on Weekend Update on a regular basis and does the occasional political sketch that doesn’t involve him, but an overwhelming majority of the coverage over the last decade has been aggressively focused on President Trump. Even during the four year window when he lost the presidency, the show worked him in more than two dozen times and notably, switched President Biden impressions on multiple occasions to try and find something that clicked.

Colin Jost’s impression of Pete Hegseth, however, is clicking. There’s a reason it’s been included as a key support to Johnson’s President Trump in a bunch of recent sketches and why it’s sometimes now getting time to shine on its own. It’s the sort of thing you’d tune into the show hoping to see, and there’s something there with Aziz Ansari’s impression of Kash Patel too. It’s got a really fun spirit to it, and the audience really seemed to enjoy what he was doing with it. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bring it back.

When SNL is at its best, it’s doing a lot of different things. It’s blending different styles of humor. It’s featuring different cast members, and it’s commenting on a variety of things going on in the world, both high brow and low brow. It’s not enough for politics to be part of that diversity. There should be diversity within the political coverage. It should be more than just Johnson’s President Trump. Thankfully, that seems to be happening, and I hope the show sticks with more of a balance moving forward.

SNL only has two episodes left in Season 51. They'll air on the next two consecutive Saturdays and have some exciting guest hosts. You can watch them on NBC or stream via Peacock.

Just hours after both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called for his firing, Jimmy Kimmel responded during his opening monologue on last night’s show. He defended the joke they were both incensed about and said it wasn’t a call to violence but instead a “light roast” that was about the age difference between the first couple.

Last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host held a fake White House Correspondents Dinner, a few days ahead of the real White House Correspondents Dinner. He included footage of President Trump, Melania Trump, their family, members of the President’s Cabinet and various celebrities. During the bit, he said Melania had “a glow like an expectant widow.” The shot didn’t attract much attention at the time, as Kimmel is frequently critical of The Trumps on his late night show, but after a man broke into the White House Correspondents Dinner with multiple guns, allegedly attempting to kill the President, the joke started circulating.

On Monday, both President Trump and Melania Trump put out social media posts calling on Disney and ABC to do something about Kimmel’s behavior. The President directly called for him to be fired, while Melania more broadly told the network to “take a stand.” She also called him a “coward,” while the President took shots at his “terrible television ratings.”

During Kimmel’s response, which lasted more than ten minutes, he went over the timeline of what happened. He was, at times, empathetic to The Trumps and everyone who was at the White House Correspondents Dinner for going through such a traumatic event. He reiterated his stance against gun violence and agreed that the temperature of the political rhetoric needs to be lowered, before pointing the finger at the President himself and implying he’s the one who has turned up the volume. He also defended the joke and said it wasn’t a call for violence but instead supposed to be a shot at the age gap in the relationship. Here’s a portion of his quote…

This isn’t the first time Kimmel has found himself at the center of controversy over remarks he made on his show. Last year, he was taken off the air in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination. He accused Trump’s supporters of trying to use the political commentator’s murder to score points by “trying to characterize” the killer as “anything other than one of them.”

Exactly what he meant by the comments and whether he was trying to imply Kirk was shot by one of his own followers became the subject of a loud political debate. After the two companies that own the majority of local affiliate stations said they wouldn’t carry his show, Kimmel was suspended by ABC, though he was eventually reinstated.

Over the last decade, American late night shows have become increasingly political and in the eyes of many, divisive. Kimmel’s chief rival, Stephen Colbert, will be finishing up later this year, and many believe the decision to end his show was related to how political he’s become. Kimmel too has gotten louder and louder in recent years, though ABC has remained supportive, at least apart from his suspension last year, which is notable given larger issues that are also happening with late night in general.

It's unclear how ABC executives might feel about this latest Kimmel controversy or the way he addressed it, but it's worth noting his entire monologue has been made available to watch on YouTube. You can check it out below...

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35 ET. Right now, the assumption from fans is that he'll be on again this evening, despite the President's calls for his termination. My guess is he won't directly address this controversy again, as everyone involved is likely eager to move on, but if the President drops additional statements today or the network gets involved, then the host may have no choice but to talk about it again.

The C-SPAN network received a lot of attention over the weekend, and current events were only part of the reason. With it being an eventful weekend in politics, a viral clip emerged that had people wondering if President Donald Trump called into the network to air grievances about the Supreme Court.

Ears perked up over the weekend when a C-SPAN call on Friday from one "John Barron" made rounds on the internet. The call was interesting because the name was commonly associated with Trump, who has historically used it as a pseudonym in previous decades in various situations. The caller also sounded like the President of the United States with a stuffy nose, leading some to wonder if Trump called in and disguised his voice. Take a listen to the call, which was shared to X:

POTUS isn't afraid to give an opinion on anything, and his past movie and television appearances show he's not afraid of the spotlight. In short, there was serious speculation that the Commander-in-Chief actually placed the call and, unwittingly, left a very obvious clue to his true identity.

The clip received so much attention over the weekend that C-SPAN felt compelled to publicly comment on the clip and share additional context that may show the phone call was more than likely a prank. In the statement below posted to X, readers received some added context that may debunk the President of the United States had anything to do with that call:

Thankfully, I don't have to make adjustments to my 2026 TV schedule plans to account for C-SPAN, because it sounds like that call was a hoax. I do have to give props to whoever made the call, because it sounded spot on, like President Trump trying to disguise his very identifiable voice. I'd put it up there with James Austin Johnson's impression he does on Saturday Night Live, even with such a small sample size.

The context is helpful, and explains why the network hung up the call rather than let John Barron stay on the line. If anyone there had thought it was actually President Trump, I don't think they would've cut him off.

Prank calls are bound to happen on call-in shows, and had this been another network that wasn't C-SPAN, it might not have gotten as much attention. It seems like the network tends to go viral when unexpected moments happen, and the President calling in to verbally bash the Supreme Court the same day it happened would've topped the list of unexpected.

C-SPAN continues to highlight what's happening in the world of politics, and CinemaBlend will be around to catch noteworthy highlights on networks when possible. Personally, I'm hoping we learn the identity of the real "John Barron," and their motivation for calling in.

There’s been a lot of chatter online ever since Bad Bunny was announced to host the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Celebrities like his Happy Gilmore 2 co-star, Adam Sandler, and singer Jennifer Lopez have been supportive of the choice, but there has been plenty of backlash online. At one point, fans even put together a petition to replace Bad Bunny with a country singer, and things didn’t calm down after Donald Trump weighed in. Now that we’re getting closer to the February 8th game date, the chatter is still at the forefront.

In fact, more actual politicians are speaking up about the game. While you might think the conversation would be more about whether or not the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots will rein supreme, that’s not true for everyone. In fact, if you are an Alabama senator, it may be much more important to get the message out that you will be boycotting the halftime show. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who made a name for himself as a football coach at Auburn University before getting into politics, there’s no point in even calling it the Super Bowl anymore:

To be clear, from what Tommy Tuberville told Newsmax live on the air, he may still be watching the big game, but during the halftime show he has plans to tune in to the Turning Point USA show, further noting to Newsmax (via Fox News):

If you don’t know what the Turning Point USA halftime show is, it’s a counterpoint to one of the biggest TV nights of the year. For a while, this seemed like more of a talking point than an actual plan, but Turning Point USA did announce this week their version of the Halftime Show – which they are dubbing the “The All-American Halftime Show”-- is happening in live time. The event will be available on the Turning Point USA YouTube page as well as Charlie Kirk’s former YouTube account, though performers are still under wraps.

The regular Super Bowl LX event will air on NBC, or you can stream it with a Peacock subscription. No additional halftime performers have yet been announced, but there have been some fun Super Bowl LX rumors running around.

Having hailed from the American unincorporated Puerto Rico territory, Bad Bunny mostly sings in Spanish. Almost 42 million Americans speak Spanish in the home, while 460 million people favor Spanish as a first language globally. Actor Jon Hamm recently spoke about Bunny, addressing the notion that viewers wouldn't be able to connect to his music due to a lot of it being in Spanish. Hamm, a huge fan of the musical artist, opined that people didn't need to know the language to catch the vibes from the songs.

The musician's made waves with the administration for ICE-related comments, but following backlash the NFL’s Roger Goodell defended the choice for Bad Bunny to represent Super Bowl LX, stating at the time:

Meanwhile, he’s not the only musician landing backlash related to the Super Bowl this year. Trump has also said he is unhappy with Green Day playing the Super Bowl LX pre-show after the band notably changed its lyrics in recent months to their hit American Idiot, as well. The new lyrics read, "I’m not part of the MAGA agenda." Trump has said he's "anti-them."

Those looking to watch Super Bowl LX can see it live on Sunday, February 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET on the aforementioned NBC and Peacock.

Sean Combs (a.k.a. Diddy) remains in prison after being sentenced to four years (50 months) near the end of 2025. In that time, 56-year-old Combs’ legal team has sought to appeal his sentence, and the group scored a legal victory last year when their request to expedite the process was granted. At the same time, there have been varied reports about Combs seeking a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, if a new report is to be believed, Mike Tyson got wrapped up in Combs’ supposed campaign for clemency.

How Did Mike Tyson Supposedly Get Involved In The Diddy Pardon Situation?

It was reported earlier this month that President Trump formally received a pardon letter from Sean Combs, months after a member of the rapper’s legal team claimed one hadn’t been sent. Details regarding how Trump received the reported letter weren’t made known but, apparently, Mike Tyson was the person who presented it to him. Sources from Tyson’s camp claim to The U.S. Sun that the 59-year-old boxer handed over the document when he visited the White House this past November. As to how this was set in motion, an insider alleged:

At this point, these claims must be taken with a massive grain of salt, as Team Combs has neither confirmed nor denied that “Iron Mike” was tasked with delivering the letter. What is known is that Tyson and Combs have been friendly over the years, and the boxer has also had run-ins with the current U.S. President from time to time. Despite Tyson’s supposed attempt, though, it seems that a pardon may be out of reach for the “I’ll Be Missing You” performer.

Where Does Everything Stand With Diddy’s Reported Hope For A Pardon?

2025 saw President Trump extend pardons to a number of individuals, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. With Diddy’s trial and subsequent sentencing on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, there was a lot of speculation regarding whether the embattled mogul would possibly receive a pardon. Legal experts weighed in on the chances of Combs receiving leniency. Nicole Blank Becker, R. Kelly’s former lawyer, even advised that Combs and co. tread lightly as they attempted to get the pardon.

It was back in the summer of 2025 that Trump first commented on the notion of pardoning Sean Combs and, at the time, he said he wasn’t following the situation “too closely.” However, he also mentioned that would “look at what’s happening.” Around the same time, rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson – who Combs has long feuded with – pledged to prevent Trump from extending the pardon.

The topic was brought to President Trump’s attention again this past August during an interview, when he admitted to having been “very friendly” with fellow New Yorker Diddy in years past. However, POTUS also mentioned that the Grammy winner made some “terrible statements” about him during his first presidential campaign. During that same interview, Trump was asked if a pardon for Combs would be “more likely a no,” and he then stated, “I’d say so.” The president seems to be standing by that position because, when he shared days ago that he received a letter from Diddy, he said he had no intention of granting clemency. Per The New York Times, Trump didn’t actually produce the letter during his press conference.

Right now, Sean Combs is being held at FCI Fort Dix, which is located in New Jersey, and is set to be released in June 2028. It remains to be seen if the president will change his mind on extending clemency to Combs. At this point, it also can’t be said with certainty as to whether Mike Tyson’s team will comment on the claims that he handed in a letter on Combs’ behalf.

As of late, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed disdain for a number of current late-night talk show hosts, including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel. Seth Meyers has also found himself on the receiving end of POTUS’ critiques, many of which have been shared via social media. Within the last few days, Trump called out Meyers and declared that his show should be canceled. Interestingly enough, though, these gripes came after the president apparently watched an episode of the show he’d already complained about.

During the Monday, November 17th edition of Late Night, Seth Meyers addressed the president’s latest comments about his show. Meyers prefaced the discussion (which is on YouTube) by explaining that several weeks ago, President Trump expressed “displeasure” with how he “talked endlessly about electric catapults on aircraft carriers.” Trump’s latest comments were posted to Truth Social on Saturday, November 15 and once again involved catapults.

However, Meyers went on to explain that in Trump’s Saturday post, the Commander in Chief mentioned that the comments Meyers made were broadcast “last night” or more specifically, Friday, November 14. As it turns out, though, the episode that was broadcast on that particular weekday was a repeat – the episode involving the catapults. So, in other words, POTUS lashed out over the same topic after watching the exact same TV episode twice. Meyers poked fun at the president’s faux pas by making a Friends-centric analogy:

As of this writing, President Trump has responded to Seth Meyers’ take on his latest catapult-related gripes. Yet FCC chairman Brendan Carr notably screenshotted Trump’s post and shared it to X without adding any additional comment. Carr was, of course, embroiled in another situation months ago involving a different TV host.

Carr appeared on a podcast in September, during which he implied that ABC’s broadcasting license could be revoked due to on-air comments Jimmy Kimmel made in relation to the death of Charlie Kirk. The Alphabet Network ultimately suspended Kimmel’s show, with the decision coming down from Disney’s top brass. Amid the suspension, Carr, Trump and more supported the decision, while various celebrities came to Kimmel’s defense. While Kimmel was surprised by the decision, he and execs eventually engaged in discussions and, after five days, the show was reinstated.

These late-night TV-related developments have occurred as the landscape itself undergoes a major shift, one that’s even seen The Late Show with Stephen Colbert get canceled. Seth Meyers previously expressed reservations over the changes and acknowledged that his professional fate was not his own. Still, at this point, Meyers continues to conduct business as usual and provide commentary on President Trump, politics, pop culture and more.

Late Night with Seth Meyers airs weeknights at 12:35 p.m. ET on NBC amid the 2025 TV schedule.

There is perhaps no impression in the history of Saturday Night Live that has generated more headlines and hot takes than Donald Trump. The longtime pop culture figure and current US President has been portrayed by a half dozen or so cast members, hosts and friends of the show, most prominently by Darrell Hammond, Alec Baldwin and currently, James Austin Johnson. The switch from Hammond to Baldwin in the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential election was especially divisive and almost a decade later, Hammond explained why it happened and how he felt about it.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hammond admitted he “didn’t like it” but said longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels did what he thought was right. He said the show wanted an impression that was more likely to generate a big response and go viral, and that wasn't his softer take on Trump everyone had already been watching for multiple decades. He said the tough decision “paid off” given how much press it attracted but said coming to terms with it was “tough.” Here’s a portion of his quote…

Hammond’s impression, which Trump was always supportive of, played him as a goofy, buffoonish and larger than life character. He was shown as being out of touch but also funny and almost endearing. It wasn’t particularly nice, but it also wasn’t mean.

The take was broadly popular in the 90s and 2000s when Trump was a tabloid fixture and builder to the stars, but during his first Presidential run, some felt the impression was too soft and needed to be more villainous. Frequent host Alec Baldwin was brought in to offer a new take.

His version was much more aggressively mean. He portrayed Trump as more nakedly evil and played into the future President’s unusual mannerisms and speech patterns. The weekly sketches became major pop culture touchpoints and made the show significantly more divisive politically than it had ever been. It also left it with a lingering reputation that it was biased, which has been hard to shake.

Baldwin stepped away from his impression after the 2020 election, and it was eventually turned over to cast member James Austin Johnson, whose take is a blend of Hammond’s and Baldwin’s. It’s the most accurate, at least from an appearance and speech pattern standpoint, of the three, and it both comments on Trump’s politics, often in a critical way, but also makes him seem funny and human and keeps the essence of why he’s been a source of fascination for so long. Expect SNL to ride with it until he eventually leaves the show.

Fortunately, despite how difficult it was to be pushed aside on the Trump impression, Hammond clearly has maintained a positive relationship with Michaels and a positive relationship with the show. He still serves as the official announcer and is open to making further appearances in an on-screen capacity. Fingers crossed that happens at some point, even if it’s not as the President.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has officially been transferred to another penitentiary to start his prison sentence. As it stands, the 56-year-old music star is set to serve his sentence of four years (or about 50 months). However, there’s also still a question of whether he could receive a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump. POTUS has shared mixed thoughts on the matter thus far, though some legal experts still think it’s possible. In fact, one of R. Kelly’s lawyers is now weighing in on how Combs could still receive clemency.

Nicole Blank Becker became Robert “R” Kelly’s lawyer in 2019, at which time the singer was facing various sexual abuse-related allegations. In 2021 and 2022, Kelly was convicted on multiple charges, and he’s currently serving a 31-year sentence. While her client didn’t receive a pardon, Becker believes it’s “certainly not out of the realm” of possibility for Diddy. As she explained to Fox News Digital, though, there needs to be more to the situation than meets the eye:

Sean Combs was handed a mixed verdict at the conclusion of his trial earlier this year and, as a result, he was acquitted of sex-trafficking and racketeering but convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The prostitution-bsaed offenses were initiated under the jurisdiction of the Mann Act. (That human trafficking-related law also played into R. Kelly’s conviction.) At his sentencing hearing in October, Diddy apologized for his actions, though Becker also says he’ll need to show true remorse if he wants a pardon:

Per Nicole Blank Becker (who previously weighed in on Diddy’s trial), something that must also be considered is the person or group of people who would actually make the pardon request. It’s Becker’s belief that not just anyone can make the request, and she shared her take on what said individuals are like:

Of course, there are two sides to this situation. The other one involves President Trump, who would have to have a true willingness to consider and extend the pardon. Whether or not he’d actually be open to doing so is hard to say at this point. During a press conference this past June, Trump said he wasn’t following Diddy’s case that closely and that he’d have to examine it more. (Around that time, 50 Cent said he’d try to bar such a pardon.) In August, during an interview, Trump acknowledged he was “friendly” with Diddy years ago, given their positions in New York’s high society. However, he said he was “more likely” to say no to a pardon.

The president claimed in October that Diddy did request a pardon, though no further action has seemingly been taken on that front. In the meantime, Sean Combs remains incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix, which is where he’s intended to spend his incarceration. While it’s unclear if he’ll receive a pardon, Combs did just notch a legal victory in that his appeal was expedited.

Late night talk show hosts have had quite a bit to talk about as of late when it comes to world events. Someone who’s seemingly remained a fixture in the hosts’ monologues, however, is U.S. President Donald Trump. Most recently, POTUS has been making headlines due to his efforts to add a ballroom to the White House. Construction on the project is currently underway, and the plan has drawn the ire of fellow politicians, celebrities and more. With that, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers all shared thoughts while on air.

Jimmy Fallon Makes Jokes About President Trump’s Renovation Plans

While Jimmy Fallon historically hasn’t been too political on his show, he has been weighing in on President Trump’s exploits as of late. During an episode of The Tonight Show this past week, Fallon took a few jabs at the ongoing renovation. Fallon began by noting that the price of the president’s ballroom project – which has led to the demolition of the White House’s East Wing – is already proving to be more expensive than anticipated. With that in mind, Fallon (as seen on YouTube) said this:

Fallon also brought up the fact that President Trump mentioned that the new ballroom would be connected to the White House by a “glass bridge.” The host then poked fun at the notion by saying, “‘cause when women are dressed in a ballgown, they want to walk over a glass bridge.” During the monologue, Fallon also joked about Trump releasing the list of donors to the ballroom, which includes the likes of Amazon and Apple. However, Fallon quipped that that’s “not the list of names we’re looking for,” referring to the Jeffrey Epstein client list.

Stephen Colbert Skewers President Trump’s Ballroom Ambition

More critiques of the ballroom came from Stephen Colbert of The Late Show. Colbert discussed the news (via YouTube) during his monologue as part of what he referred to as the latest installment of “Trump Smash 2025.” Much of Colbert’s take focused on the destruction to the East Wing and the method that was taken to purportedly prevent journalists for taking photos, and he laid that out as follows:

Those comments above - as well as Colbert’s further critiques regarding the donors and more – come months after The Late Show’s cancellation. Throughout that time, President Trump also celebrated the news, though Colbert hasn’t held back from continuing to take POTUS to task on various topics. While the cancellation of Colbert’s show further signifies the changes in the late night landscape, he’s still focused on his goal to “land this plane” next spring.

Seth Meyers Shares His Thoughts On President Trump’s Ballroom

Someone else who’s talked about the ballroom – and the future of late night TV – is Seth Meyers. This past week, Meyers also approached the situation from the perspective of the demolition of the East Wing. Meyers ultimately joked that he believed this construction may indicate that President Trump doesn’t plan to leave the White House in 2028. As he shared in a compilation, which is on YouTube):

Conversations continue to surround the ballroom plans for the White House, with many questioning whether it’s truly necessary. It remains to be seen how construction will continue to progress and how media personalities might keep weighing in as time goes on.

The Tonight Show and Late Night all air weeknights on NBC, while The Late Show airs on CBS amid the 2025 TV schedule. All three shows can also be watched using a YouTube TV subscription.

It’s been a pretty big few days for the music business. We’ve seen the massive release of Taylor Swift’s new album, which included her not just topping the album charts but the box office as well. However, another global mega star, Bad Bunny, has made a lot of headlines too after it was announced that he'd be playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The NFL season has only just begun, but the way it will end has already become one of the most talked-about topics in sports. Bad Bunny has been selected to perform during halftime of the Big Game, and this is a decision that has generated an endless number of opinions, and now the President of the United States has joined the fray.

President Trump Sounds Off About Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Appearance

Many voices have been critical of the decision to pick Bad Bunny to perform during halftime at the Super Bowl. At least some of the reasons for the backlash appear to be that the Puerto Rican singer has been a vocal critic of the current political administration. Unsurprisingly, it turns out the administration isn’t a fan of him either.

In an appearance on NewsMax, President Trump was critical of the decision to have Bad Bunny play the Super Bowl, despite also claiming he’d never heard of him. Trump said…

While the criticism of Bad Bunny in football circles will likely die down, at least until we get closer to the Super Bowl, it seems that fans of another major sport are now getting in on the action of criticizing the global superstar.

Bad Bunny Is Being Criticized By Some After Attending A Baseball Playoff Game, But He Also Had A Big Moment

Bad Bunny had baseball rather than football on his mind recently when he attended game three of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. Controversy has followed him after a video posted by TMZ purported to show the singer remaining seated during a performance of “God Bless America.”

A lot of voices on social media have been critical of remaining seated, as they thought it was a disrespectful move. However, others have pointed out that this was not the opening game performance of the National Anthem but a seventh-inning stretch performance of “God Bless America,” so the etiquette is potentially different.

Of course, while some may be focusing on Bad Bunny’s allegedly disrespectful act, others are more focused on the fact that the singer ended up with a foul ball during the game. So, it’s unclear just how widespread the condemnation of Bad Bunny is.

While there may be some people who aren’t Bad Bunny fans, the singer is incredibly popular around the world, which was almost certainly the thinking going into his Super Bowl performance.

Time will tell if any other major sports fans or public figures get mad at Bad Bunny. It should be said that while baseball and football fans may have issues, Bad Bunny is quite popular in WWE, and as far as I know, his recent appearance in Happy Gilmore 2 had a lot of fans laughing, so there’s that.

However, as we learn more about this whole situation with him and the Super Bowl, we'll keep you posted.

As Sean “Diddy” Combs awaits sentencing in the aftermath of his sex-trafficking trial, there are those still questioning whether he’ll receive a pardon. Members of Combs’ legal team have spoken out on the matter, with one saying that clemency is being pursued while another saying they weren’t involved in such efforts. Of course, if such action is taken, there’s the matter of what that would even look like. Now, some legal experts are providing information on that.

The 58-year-old rapper and business mogul was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and was acquitted of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges. U.S. President Donald Trump has already said he likely wouldn’t pardon Diddy, whom he’s crossed paths with over the years. At this point, college professor and clemency lawyer Mark Osler tells Billboard that one way Diddy can appeal to POTUS is through their personal values. Osler says that in Trump’s case, those values would be “loyalty and celebrity.”

Fellow clemency attorney and professor JaneAnne Murray also says Sean Combs’ legal team could argue that his conviction of crimes under the Mann Act was unfair. That particular law – which was established as the White-Slave Act in 1910 – prevents the transportation of people across state lines and foreign territories for prostitution-related reasons. Also, given Combs acquittal on the sex-trafficking and racketeering charges (which were the most severe of the bunch), his team could contend that he never should’ve never been charged.

However, Mark Osler also made another point as he stated that political factors could play into President Trump’s decision on whether to pardon Diddy. That would more specifically refer to the optics of Trump deciding to present clemency to a person who’s been at the center of stories related to abuse. So the implication here would be that White House officials may not be keen on being linked to such a pardon.

The “Bad Boy for Life” performer’s trial saw various individuals – including his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura – provide testimony in regard to the alleged sex acts he took part in. In the case of Ventura, an ex-prostitute also backed up her claims. Much of the discussion around Diddy’s supposed exploits have to do with his Freak Offs, parties for which women were hired or coerced into committing sexual acts.

Amid the legal proceedings, attorney Tony Buzbee – who’s overseeing a slew of lawsuits against Diddy – commented on the mogul possibly receiving a pardon. Buzbee opined that clemency wouldn’t happen, and those comments came even before President Trump said he likely wouldn’t grant a pardon. Another possible obstacle for Diddy comes in the form of fellow rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who’s been trolling him. Months ago, Jackson vowed he’d do everything in his power to stop Diddy from being pardoned.

The president ultimately has the final say, though, and the public will just have to wait and see if Sean Combs is pardoned like Todd and Julie Chrisley and others. As the questions persist, Combs’ sentencing hearing is set to take place on October 3.

It's an interesting time for late night TV, as the genre is seemingly going through a number of changes. The internet was set ablaze with news of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being cancelled, prompting plenty of responses from fans as well as support from other hosts like Jimmy Fallon. As things shake out, Donald Trump has been vocal about Colbert, and is now taking aim at Seth Meyers

Colbert has been joking about what's next after his show ends, but folks have been wondering if more late night firings might occur. While fans are sounding off about the cancellation, President Trump is taking to Truth Social to take shots at a number of the late night hosts. Case in point: the following post that criticized Seth Meyers. As he put it:

Trump taking aim at the SNL alum probably isn't all that surprising if you watch Late Night with Seth Meyers. During his presidencies Meyers and his team regularly filmed a segment called "A Closer Look", where he would criticize and poke fun at Trump and his administration. So this type of take down online was possibly a long time coming for the President, and follows suit given he previously commented on Colbert getting axed.

Of course, Meyers isn't the only one that Donald Trump is posting bout on Truth Social. In another post he also made claims about the talents of Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, the latter of which actually hosted him on The Tonight Show. As the Apprentice host put it:

Kimmel called out CBS after Colbert's cancellation, which may be another reason why the comedian has received the ire of Trump. But overall it seems like none of the late night hosts are exempt from the President's disdain, especially since many of them use their platform to publicly criticize him.

Donald Trump seemingly pays a great deal of attention to television, particularly how he's portrayed. South Park has been throwing a ton of shade at the president, which has been getting more attention given the late night changes and rumors that networks are backing off of the President. Colbert praised South Park for its portrayal, but only time will tell if any other late night hosts end up losing their gigs.

New episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are still airing for the time being as part of the 2025 TV schedule. That series is expected to end in May of 2026.

CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, have been making headlines for a few reasons lately. Weeks ago, the network announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, while Paramount aimed to finalize its merger with Skydance. All the while, execs were engaged in a back-and-forth over the streaming rights to South Park. While that situation was resolved, another one arose when the animated show skewered U.S. President Donald Trump. Colbert responded to the episode, too, and didn’t hold back.

What Happened On South Park And How Did Stephen Colbert React?

The delayed Season 27 premiere of South Park sees the eponymous town protesting the presence of Jesus in local schools, leading to the townspeople being sued by a caricature of President Trump for $5 billion. Amid the situation, the Jesus character makes reference to a lawsuit involving Paramount (as the company just settled a $16 million suit with Trump in real life). Jesus eventually warns the townspeople about not suffering a fate similar to the one “Colbert” faced at CBS, saying that “you guys got to stop being stupid.”

Ultimately, the town settles and starts to produce Trump-centric PSAs, with one of those ads taking the form of a deepfake of a nude Trump stumbling in the desert. On top of that, the animated Trump character – who has POTUS’ actual head superimposed on him – is also seen getting in bed with Satan. The White House eventually responded to the episode, expressing significant disapproval of it. Stephen Colbert reacted to the episode on his show while talking about Trump’s executive order to de-regulate AI, with the host saying:

The “check it out right here” refers to the QR code that was dropped at the bottom of the screen amid the broadcast (part of which was shared on YouTube). Said code linked to a site called HeTrumpedUs.com, which featured the clip. All in all, this marks yet another instance in which the Late Show host has mocked the President and by extension, his employers.

What’s Been Going On With The Late Show Amid The Cancellation Drama?

The Late Show’s cancellation was announced earlier this month, and Stephen Colbert himself addressed it while on air as well. CBS said the show was to be canceled due to “financial” reasons. However, some insiders and public figures have questioned the timing of the decision. The cancellation was announced after Colbert criticized the network for settling the lawsuit with President Trump. Also, the suit was viewed by analysts as the last obstacle preventing Paramount Global from finalizing its merger with Skydance.

Since then, reactions from Jimmy Kimmel, Bowen Yang and more have surfaced, with many celebrities expressing disappointment of the cancellation of the long-running talk show. The series’ OG host, David Letterman, responded as well as did one of his former producers, with both expressing skepticism over the true reasoning for the decision. Andy Cohen also believes the network is “cooked” as a result of its decision to conclude the program in May 2026.

All the while, Stephen Colbert hasn’t held back in chastising his employers or the U.S. president. It’s been alleged that execs aren’t happy with Colbert’s comments and are also concerned about him possibly divulging unflattering information about the company. That aside, it’s said that the Late Night crew is disappointed by the demise of the show. As the 2025 TV schedule pushes on, the public will have to wait and see whether Colbert and South Park continue to take jabs at their employers and/or President Trump.

For 16 seasons on ABC — and a 17th set to hit the 2025 TV schedule later this year — Shark Tank has been helping entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. Barbara Corcoran has been an instrumental part of that, but it turns out that wasn’t always the plan. The businesswoman revealed that someone else was originally the frontrunner for her spot on the show, and she lobbied hard to get the job — even name-dropping Donald Trump.

Barbara Corcoran said she knew immediately that the Shark Tank role was a perfect fit for her, so when she heard that producer Mark Burnett had “asked another girl to dance,” she fired off an email that laid out exactly why she should not be overlooked. She shared that letter on Facebook, explaining to fans:

So just how loudly did she knock? Barbara Corcoran wrote that she considered Shark Tank’s rejection a “lucky charm,” as all of her biggest successes had come on the heels of rejection. She proceeded to list a few examples, including a teacher who called her “stupid” because of her dyslexia and the New York real estate moguls who locked her out because she was a woman. Then she dropped one pretty big name:

Well there you go. If you’re going to name-drop somebody for a job, it doesn’t get much bigger than “The Donald,” aka the star of another Mark Burnett-produced reality show The Apprentice (who, of course, went on to become President of the United States), and I’m sure it didn’t hurt that the courtroom incident in question came amidst her reportedly “saving his ass.”

Barbara Corcoran obviously got the job and has since appeared in every season of Shark Tank to date. She’s invested in well over a hundred products and services, including a big deal with Coverplay in Season 1 and other businesses like The Comfy and Daisy Cakes in the years that followed. Who knows what would have happened to those entrepreneurs if she hadn’t fought for her spot on the show ahead of its 2009 premiere?

She — like fellow shark Daymond John — has stayed committed to the show even through challenging economic times, and it’s no surprise she’s got strong opinions about who the best guest shark ever was.

Shark Tank Season 17 premieres at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, September 24, on ABC and will be available on streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

Doing an impression, especially a political impression, isn’t just about sounding like the person or looking like the person. Those things are obviously important, but it’s also about how you’re trying to portray the person. What are you trying to say to the audience about the person you’re doing the impression of? Well, it turns out for Dana Carvey, who recently played President Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live, that last part was very complicated.

Appearing on his podcast Fly On The Wall alongside co-host David Spade, guest Julie Bowen asked him about his Biden impression. More specifically, she asked him what it was like to play such a relevant person on SNL and whether he has any weird or guilty feelings because of how it all turned out. He took a few moments to “gather intellectually” before he gave a really interesting and thoughtful answer…

During his answer, Bowen shouted, “But it’s comedy” and Spade replied, saying, “You’re right. That’s the idea, but that’s not what everyone thinks.”

Clearly, the implication that Spade and Carvey are getting at is that there are some cast members and some people in the comedy world who felt there was a moral responsibility to portray President Biden in a more positive light, or at least not paint him in such a negative light that it could affect how people would vote. SNL has been accused of being left-leaning or outright liberal on a semi-regular basis since the show premiered 50 years ago. If we’re being honest, however, how accurate that is really depends more on the era you’re talking about.

I think that’s best exemplified by the three most popular impressions of Donald Trump. The first one happened before he was President and was done by Darrell Hammond. He played Trump in a very goofy and self-aggrandizing way. It was Trump as a Domino’s spokesman, a larger than life character you couldn’t help but be amused by. Trump has said publicly that he loved it, and it was a staple of the show for many years.

When Trump got into politics, however, SNL switched to an Alec Baldwin impression, which really seemed to highlight the President’s negative qualities. Baldwin repeatedly contorted his face in uncomfortable ways and used changes in vocal pitch to make his portrayal seem more unhinged and villainous. It was very well received on the left and widely disliked by some on the right including President Trump who openly took shots at it.

Now, President Trump is portrayed by James Austin Johnson who does a much more accurate, middle ground impression. It sometimes leans into Trump as a villain, but it also gives him moments of humor, where that weird out of touch billionaire but also relatable everyman quality sort of comes through. It’s a balance of what Hammond did and what Baldwin did.

If we’re being honest, I think Carvey’s impression falls into that third category and is most similar to James Austin Johnson’s. Carvey didn’t shy away from Biden’s problems and often made him look confused and out of touch. He certainly wasn’t trying to paint him as an ideal president or a paragon of intelligence, but at the same time, he also never turned the knife in the way Alec Baldwin did. I think a lot of jokes were left out because they would have come across as mean or painted him as incompetent, which Carvey always stopped short of doing.

Ultimately, we didn’t get as many Carvey appearances as Biden as were originally planned because he, of course, dropped out of the race after his mental fitness was questioned. The original plan was for Carvey to spend the Fall in New York appearing as the President during the election and aftermath, but that plan went south as soon as the debate aired. Instead, we ended up getting some of Carvey’s Biden and some appearances he did as other characters. What could have been.

It’s impossible to run a late night talk show these days without making jokes about Donald Trump, the current President of the United States. We went through this before during his first term, and he remained a popular topic of humor during Joe Biden’s sole term in office. As a news satire program, however, The Daily Show arguably focuses more on Trump than any of these other shows, particularly over the course of the 2025 TV schedule. But Dan Amira, the head writer of the long-running Comedy Central series, shared a theory with CinemaBlend about why it’s harder to come up with a good Trump joke than one might think.

Amira has been working on The Daily Show since 2014, one year before Donald Trump announced he was running for President the first time around, and he was promoted to head writer in 2018, one year into Trump’s first presidency. During my interview with Amira, he acknowledged that ]the 45th and 47th president “certainly gives you more material than anyone else could possibly give you.” But that doesn’t always make it easy to craft jokes about Trump, with Amira telling me:

Basically, it boils down to the line between satire and reality being too blurred. If prime joke material is happening in real life, then how do you get even more absurd from there? It’s something that Dan Amira would like to be toned down with regard to Donald Trump, but that’s not in the cards. It’s quite a different landscape compared to when the businessman cameoed in Home Alone 2.

Still, Dan Amira and his writing team are up to the challenge as The Daily Show continues his 25+-year run. When Amira joined the series more than a decade ago, Jon Stewart was a year out from leaving the show he’d been hosting since 1999. Then at the beginning of 2024, a little over a year after Trevor Noah departed The Daily Show, Stewart returned to host on a part-time basis and executive produce. So not only does Amira get to work more closely with Stewart this time around, he no doubt welcomes collaborating with the man on Donald Trump jokes week after week.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central, with Jon Stewart hosting on Mondays and a rotating lineup of the show’s correspondents handling the rest of the week. Use your Paramount+ subscription to stream full episodes after their linear premiere.

Over the weekend, President Trump dropped a social media post decrying the state of the film industry in The United States. He said he’s instructed the Department Of Commerce to “begin the process” of placing tariffs on all movies shot outside the country. Immediately, social media exploded with fears about what this might mean for various movie studios and production houses, and several prominent media companies showed notable declines in their stock prices. With no timelines and few details, however, there’s a lot of uncertainty and several questions that still need to be answered before anyone knows what exactly this might mean.

Before we get into those questions though, let’s back up real quick and talk about the state of the film industry in The United States and more specifically, Los Angeles. In his social post, President Trump said movie-making has been “devastated” in Hollywood. The numbers back that up.

According to a recent report from FilmLA, the group that handles permits in Los Angeles, shooting is down more than twenty percent year over year. Television production is down almost fifty percent compared to an average of the last five years. Only 13 total pilots were shot in LA in the first quarter of this year, the lowest number in any quarter since FilmLA started keeping track. Sound stage usage is down. Permits being pulled are down. Anecdotally, there are a lot of people in the industry in Los Angeles talking about the struggle to find work. Something is clearly going on. The question is why.

In President Trump’s social post, he blames a “concerted effort” by other nations to offer incentives to filmmakers to shoot on location in their specific areas. You can read his message in its entirety below…

Now, it’s easy to verify that some of that is happening. Locations within The United States, Georgia most prominently, have started offering aggressive tax breaks and incentives for productions that film in the state. Officials literally produced brochures for movie studios and indie filmmakers that go over exactly how it works, and it has worked.

Georgia now has more movies and tv shows filmed on location than every State except California and New York. In fact, this has become such a problem the past few years that Governor Gavin Newsom has loudly and aggressively called for an expansion of California's own tax incentive program to try and keep up. A bill is currently working its way through the state legislature.

To President Trump’s point, that same thing is happening with other countries too. Canada, the city of Vancouver in particular, has become a hotbed for filming and now attracts nearly 2 billion dollars a year in movie and tv production. That number was only expected to increase, as well, as local lawmakers recently passed even more generous incentive packages to try and entice more productions. Mexico has also become a hotbed for filming, as it offers cheaper costs and its own lucrative tax breaks. The UK and other countries in Europe have also started following suit and begun loudly courting the major studios with their own packages.

In short, producing movies and tv shows, regardless of budget sizes, now often involves incentive shopping. Whether they stay in The United States or not, most production companies are looking for the best deal, and even the actors have become jaded and are very open about how the process works. If a studio can shoot somewhere cheaper, they're probably going to do that, and with the current pricing structure and cost of living issues in Los Angeles, Hollywood has become a lot less desirable.

Something Else Is Going On Too Though.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the major Hollywood studios combined to release more than 110 theatrical movies per year on average. Over the last few years, that average has barely topped 80. The TV show numbers are just as scary. Back in 2018, there were more than 16,000 episodes of television produced. In 2024, that number barely topped 11,000 episodes.

When the streaming services first started coming into prominence, cable television was still operating at near max capacity. The major networks were all filling every available primetime slot, many cable networks were creating their own original programming and the premium channels like HBO were still in the midst of a creative renaissance.

Over the last few years, however, almost everyone other than Netflix has started pulling back. Many of the streaming services are still struggling to be profitable and have reduced production costs. Many cable networks have stopped producing their own programming, and the major TV networks have reduced their own spending, sometimes cancelling popular shows simply because they're expensive to produce.

So, right now, the movie industry is in a position where a lot of companies are reducing the number of movies and TV shows they're creating. Combine that with there being way more competition by other states and other countries to offer incentive programs and cheaper locations to film, and it's been a perfect storm of problems for Hollywood.

So, Would Tariffs Help? And How Would They Even Work?

The problem in predicting what might happen if tariffs were to go into effect is we don't have any idea what they might actually look like. President Trump said he's planning to roll out 100% tariffs, but we don't know how those would be calculated.

Would half of any ticket sold for a movie produced outside The United States be paid to the government? That would likely create a system in which certain movies were more expensive to see in the theaters, which would likely be a catastrophe for the box office performance of those movies.

And what about if a movie went straight to streaming? Would the production be charged a fee based on its actual budget? If a movie cost $50M to shoot, would producers have to literally pay the The United States government a $50M penalty, sort of like how the luxury tax works in some professional sports if you spend over the salary cap?

None of this accounts for television or future rights payments or a wide variety of other issues either. Producing art is a lot more complicated than producing a manufactured good. That doesn't mean these obstacles are insurmountable. It just means it's a lot more complicated to forecast how any of this might work.

What's Going To Happen?

No one knows.

There has been a lot of talk about tariffs since President Trump took office. He's vowed to make America's trade agreements fairer, but there are wide disagreements amongst experts and political pundits about what fair actually means.

In the last hundred days, President Trump has advocated various positions. At one point, he seemed poised to drop moderate to massive tariffs on basically every country in the world, but after some negotiations, an overwhelming majority were paused so new agreements could be worked out. Those deals are still being negotiated, and no one is quite sure what they'll look like or when they'll go into effect. So, obviously, there's going to be uncertainty around these proposed film tariffs for awhile.

Many experts in Hollywood are calling them the potential end of the film industry as we know it. They feel studios won't be able to make the types of movies they're making in Los Angeles for the budgets they're making them at, which would mean cutting costs or reducing the number of films made. They also worry other countries will impose their own tariffs on movies shot in The United States, which would greatly reduce foreign grosses.

Others are cautious embracing the tariffs, as they feel the current tax incentive system isn't good for anyone. They want to see a dramatic change in how business is done and feel only a massive jolt to the system will save Hollywood from losing more and more business to other countries. They also point to many animation and VFX jobs going to foreign countries and wonder if tariffs would help keep those in The United States.

Right now, all we can do is wait for more information and listen when the major studios start commenting publicly on how they feel this will affect business.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York still stands as one of the best Christmas movies since its release in 1992. However, there's one aspect of the flick that has somewhat polarized audiences -- Donald Trump’s small but significant cameo. Over the years, and as the businessman's political influence has grown, many have petitioned to remove Trump's cameo. Director Chris Columbus has discussed the cameo on several occasions and, more recently, he expressed his desire to cut it, despite apparently being unable to.

Chris Columbus referred to the cameo in question as his "Albatross" while speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle. He didn't mince words when expressing his desire to have the brief scene omitted from the movie. However, it seems he's opted not to do so out of being cautious for potential political ramifications:

Columbus’ reasoning specifically seems to refer to the deportations that have occurred as of late. On the surface, his comments may seem somewhat flippant, but it would appear that he does indeed mean what he says. With that, he doesn't seem all that keen on making any serious attempts to cut the scene, which sees Trump lending assistance to young Kevin McCallister at the Plaza Hotel.

Donald Trump, who is now the President of the United States again, has long been a fixture in pop culture. Aside from famously hosting the reality competition series The Apprentice, he's also appeared in various films and TV shows like Zoolander, Two Weeks Notice, Eddie, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Sex and the City. Trump's list of media appearances is quite extensive at this point. As for his work on Home Alone 2, which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription, he said he's "proud" of his cameo.

The current POTUS is also referenced and lampooned in a number of cases as well. Saturday Night Live consistently parodies the Commander-in-Chief, with cast member James Austin Johnson being the latest actor to play the role. An animated version of Trump also appeared on Our Cartoon President. Additionally, The White Lotus Season 3 even referenced Trump in what proved to be a more timely nod than the cast even realized at the time.

What's particularly interesting is that despite the various cameos that Donald Trump has made over the years, HA2 is arguably the production that most fans point to. That could be due to the cultural influence of the film as a whole, given it's endured for decades as a holiday staple. Not only that but, when it comes to the flood of TV shows that have aired over the years, many guest appearances can slip through the cracks.

It's hard to say whether Chris Columbus may ever change his mind on the subject. For now, though, it would appear that regardless of how fans feel, President Trump's scene will remain in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

There are lots of mysteries to be solved in regards to what happens to The White Lotus Season 3 characters as Mike White’s dark comedy plays out on the 2025 TV schedule. Fans are dying to know what Greg is up to and how much we should worry about Belinda, but another big question might be how the creator was able to predict real-world events? After President Trump became the topic of conversation on a recent episode, some of the cast admitted they questioned the timeliness of the topic.

One of the stories we’ve been following on this third installment of The White Lotus (available to stream with a Max subscription) involves longtime friends Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) reuniting for a girls trip. In the episode "The Meaning of Dreams," Kate’s friends are shocked to learn she voted for Trump, and Bibb admitted to EW she didn’t realize how relevant that topic would still be, saying:

When the current season of The White Lotus filmed, we hadn’t yet been through the 2024 election, so Leslie Bibb was only thinking about 2016. For his part, Mike White couldn’t actually have known that voting for Trump would still be such a hot-button issue that people are talking about in 2025.

Factually, sure, the stress-inducing group of female friends could have been referencing Trump's first presidency and, in that case, I can see how Leslie Bibb would wonder if the events of eight years ago would still be topical. She wasn’t even thinking about the 2024 election making that issue relevant again, as she said:

Donald Trump officially announced that he was running for president again in November 2022, but many weren’t thinking that far ahead, and The White Lotus was filmed before the race (and tensions surrounding it) heated up.

Mike White definitely had an eye on the future when he added politics to the list of polarizing subjects for Jaclyn, Laurie and Kate to tackle, and it definitely fit right in there with their other topics of conversation like each other’s religious beliefs, love lives and physical appearances.

The scene in question set Kate up to be ostracized from her friends, much in the same way she and Jaclyn had stayed up late gossiping about Laurie earlier in their trip. I’m afraid tensions are just going to continue to boil between the three old friends (sorry, longtime friends) until at least one of them explodes.

Tune in to see what fireworks await with new episodes of The White Lotus Season 3 airing at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO and streaming on Max.

After you watch the Home Alone sequel Lost in New York, it’s natural to want your own Plaza Hotel experience like Kevin McCallister had. In fact, you can credit President Donald Trump for lending the famed establishment for the ‘90s movie, as he was the owner at the time. Funny story though: Daniel Stern, who you remember as Marv, recalls running up a $7,000 tab on the businessman’s dime at the Plaza.

Even though Daniel Stern established his career as the narrator of one of the best sitcoms of all time, The Wonder Years, and as Phil Berquist in the City Slicker movies, his role in the Home Alone films still holds a dear place in his heart after over three decades. In his new memoir Home and Alone (via Page Six), Stern shared a lot of juicy stories about his time filming the Chris Columbus movies, like dealing with a “Tarantula Wrangler” in the first movie and his bonds with the cast. There’s even one noteworthy story about the time Stern ran a $7,000 tab during a night of drinks all on Donald Trump’s, tab.

Daniel Stern’s $7K Tab on Donald Trump’s Dime

In Daniel Stern’s memoir, he recalls how Trump, then-owner of the Plaza Hotel during Home Alone 2's production, arrived at the Oak Room with his then-wife, the late Ivana Trump, while Stern and crew members were enjoying a drink. With the former Apprentice host “feeling like the host-with-the-most” to pick up the tab for the group, the group held their glasses towards Trump in appreciation.

However, Daniel Stern and his pals sure had a fun night of drinking on Donald Trump’s dime. The night involved “round after round of drinks” for the whole bar and continuing to drink “until there was no more.” By the time the party was over at 4 a.m. closing time, the Bushwhacked actor estimated the final tab was at least $7K! This actually reminds me of the end of Home Alone 2 when we discover how much Kevin spent on room service. Both moments sure involved extravagant luxury with someone else picking up the tab.

Donald Trump’s Involvement in Home Alone 2

Not only did Donald Trump let the cast and crew film Home Alone 2 at his Plaza Hotel, but he also had a cameo appearance in the movie. You may remember him getting stopped by Kevin McCallister, who asked him for directions to where the lobby was. With only one single line of dialogue, we didn’t have to second-guess the identity of this random man walking past Kevin. Plus, his status as the then-hotel owner added a dash of humor to the cameo appearance.

Home Alone director Chris Columbus made claims about Donald Trump’s cameo appearance, saying the only way the media personality would allow him to use his hotel was if he had a cameo. While the Harry Potter director said he planned to cut the cameo scene, the audience recognized the then-real estate celebrity during a preview screening and cheered at his appearance. Therefore, Trump’s cameo stayed in the final product. The Queens native has said he’s proud of the work he’s done in Home Alone 2 and other TV and film appearances he’s made throughout his career.

It looks like Daniel Stern had a lot of fun with President Donald Trump’s offer to pay the bill during Home Alone 2… $7,000 worth of fun. Based on Stern’s claims, it sounds like it really was a night to remember at the Plaza Hotel. You can watch President Trump’s cameo and the rest of the memorable cast in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, available on your Disney+ subscription. You can also purchase Stern’s memoir Home and Alone on Amazon and your local bookstore.

Todd Chrisley remains in prison years after he and his wife, Julie, were found guilty of bank fraud, tax evasion and more in 2022. The former reality TV couple subsequently reported to their respective penitentiaries in early 2023. Since then, the spouses have sought to appeal their cases and, more recently, they’ve been eying pardons. Those would have to come from the U.S. President, Donald Trump, who Todd reportedly supports. Now, it would seem that allegiance is what sparked a MAGA-related incident the Chrisley patriarch just experienced.

What Allegedly Happened To Todd Chrisley In Prison, And How Were Politics Involved?

According to a new report, Todd Chrisley made his support of President Trump known while behind bars. He apparently had a Make American Great Again (or MAGA) sticker on a chair in his cell. Chrisley’s lawyer, Jay Surgent, claimed to TMZ that said decal was ripped off the chair by a prison guard. Chrisley allegedly remained silent during the situation so as not to spark any further of retaliation. The ex-USA Network star attributes this situation up to his belief that the guards are biased against him due to his support of Trump.

The 55-year-old real estate investor, who also said fellow inmates have stickers on their chairs, made further accusations against the staff at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida. He alleged he’s been “shaken down” in various ways, with guards reportedly throwing his books on the ground, searching his clothes and flipping his mattress over. Supposedly, a prison staffer also poured a soft drink on his bed, and Jay Surgent claims these purported acts are due to bad publicity his client has brought to the prison.

Since the father of five began his (since-reduced) 12-year sentence, he and his family members have made claims about the facility he’s in. When he broke his silence from prison, he alleged that he didn’t have access to quality food and that people were photographing him while he slept. His 27-year-old daughter, Savannah Chrisley, also claimed he had no access to air conditioning, in addition to saying the same for her mother, Julie, at Lexington Medical Center. The Federal Bureau of Prisons responded by noting its accreditations.

What’s Going On When It Comes To Pardons For The Chrisleys?

Amid his legal setbacks, Todd Chrisley is still hopeful that President Trump will pardon him as well as his wife, who’s serving a seven-year sentence. Jay Surgent spoke on that notion when he reached out to TMZ. When explaining while Chrisley feels optimistic, Surgent shared the following remarks:

In addition to the head of the family, Savannah Chrisley has expressed her support for the president. Last year, the social media influencer spoke at the Republican National Convention, where she not only praised Donald Trump but also criticized those she deemed responsible for her parents’ imprisonment. Those sentiments lined up with past comments she’d made, specifically her take on the legal system and government being to blame for Todd and Julie’s guilty verdict.

As of this writing, it’s unclear whether President Trump – who was sworn in for his second term in office in January – will initiate pardons for the Chrisleys. It still sounds like, though, that Todd is standing by the belief that it could happen. All the while, FPC is set to be closed down. Time will tell if that unwavering support might cause any other MAGA-related incidents for him while he’s behind bars.

Watch any of the best sketch TV shows of all time, and it’s easy to see how unique a small-screen offering they are, and Saturday Night Live is an organizational beast all on its own, with Lorne Michaels as its nail-chewing figurehead. As depicted in Saturday Night in limited fashion, Michaels has long adhered to a certain system for plotting out each week’s sketches alongside the talented cast and crew. But sometimes it’s a guest host like Donald Trump that can affect the lineup.

Ahead of SNL hitting the 2025 premiere schedule with the back half of its celebratory 50th anniversary season, The New Yorker ran a lengthy profile on Michaels and the methods behind the perceived madness that goes into the alchemy of weekly sketch-sorting. But no matter how purposefully selective and meticulous the legendary producer can be with his choices, it’s impossible to predict a situation like the former and future POTUS opting out of a sketch semi-parodying a beloved children's book.

Donald Trump’s SNL episode was the fourth of Season 41, airing back in 2015. It appears he was set for an approved-by-Michaels sketch in which the business mogul would be dressed up like a tree while standing next to Shel Silverstein’s titular Giving Tree, who offers up its apples, shade, lumber and more until a point when its reduced to a stump.

The crux of the sketch was the end punchline, which would have had the tree-costumed Trump looking over and calling the Giving Tree a “sucker” for sacrificing all of its goods. A clever enough gag, if limited in scope, the sketch was brought up in reference to the Saturday afternoon run-through at Studio 8H, so it sounds like Lorne Michaels may have had to do some last-minute shifting at the then-candidate’s request.

Why did Trump refuse to go forward with the Giving Tree sketch? It allegedly wasn’t about the content of the sketch itself or the way in which he was portrayed; instead, it’s claimed that Trump was worried that the tree costume set up for him would make him look fat.

Such a late-stage game-change might sound like something that would completely set off Lorne Michaels and others in charge, considering the costume possibly had to be crafted in full, or at least altered to Trump's specifications, not to mention any sets that were built. However, Michaels himself is self-awarely guilty of the same kind of timing.

Here's how Lorne Michaels himself summed up the mindset behind waiting until the afternoon before SNL tapings to make the final decisions about which sketches will be used:

Donald Trump likely won't be remembered as one of the best guest hosts of all time, and likely won't be back in the fold among other upcoming Saturday Night Live guest hosts.. And I guess we can also go on the record saying he probably won't be dressed as a tree on TV in the near future, either.

But fans can see upcoming guest hosts like Dave Chappelle and Timothée Chalamet when SNL reutns to NBC for its midseason premiere on Saturday, January 18.

It’s been over 30 years since the release of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, and a lot has changed. The holiday classic, which is among the best movies streaming on Disney+, follows Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister as he's once again left out of a family trip, this time in New York City. Kevin uses his father’s credit card to live a temporary life of luxury at the Plaza Hotel, where he runs into Donald Trump for the now-memorable scene filmed 15 years ahead of Trump’s ascension to the presidency. How that cameo came about has been a point of mild contention.

Years after Donald Trump first laid claim that he was begged to make a cameo in the film, and that it wasn't his idea, the film's director Chris Columbus spoke out about what actually went down in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. Columbus opened up about making a number of beloved Christmas movies over the years, and was asked about the billionaire's unforgettable cameo in the Home Alone sequel, and whether the incumbent president had asked to be in the movie at the time.

Columbus confirmed that was not the case, but that it was in fact a stipulation for the production to film in the iconic Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time. Columbus explained:

At the time, Trump had more widespread support as a cultural figure and from his real estate contributions to the city of New York, and nobody had reasons to petition to have him removed from the Home Alone sequel the way others did years later. The mogul ownership meant he could decide which film productions were allowed to use it as a set. Replicating the Plaza any other way would’ve been a tall order for the film's crew, as the hotel is one of the most iconic in New York and has a signature look to it. Opting to shoot elsewhere would have completely changed the feel of the film, so obliging Trump was in the best interest of the film.

Columbus noted that over the years Trump has denied demanding a cameo in Home Alone 2, but the director asserted that this was indeed the case. When the 45th president publicly claimed that the production begged him to be in the film, the filmmaker decided to keep his mouth shut, so as not to escalate the conflict further. He said:

No matter who you choose to believe in this situation, the cameo scene stayed in the movie, cemented in movie history forever. Trump has proudly appeared in cameo roles in a number of other movies as well including Two Weeks Notice, Little Rascals, and Zoolander. Trump’s frequent cameos and media appearances made him a cultural figure well beyond what most New York real estate tycoons were. Watching the films in hindsight makes his presence seem even larger, and such cameos are impossible not to note whenever a rewatch happens.

You can revisit Donald Trump’s Home Alone 2 cameo by streaming the film now with a Disney+ subscription.

On one level, politics is all about the performance of the candidate, so it makes sense that actors would also be attracted to the world of politics. There have been quite a few actors over the years who have run for political office, and many of those have won their races and served in roles from mayors of their small town, like Clint Eastwood, all the way up to President of the United States, like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Here are 32 examples of actors who have dabbled in politics over the years.

Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono was first known for being the his partnership with (and marriage to) Cher. Sonny and Cher had a slew of hits and a wildly popular show in the 1970s before splitting as partners and spouses. Bono stayed in show biz, appearing in movies like Airplane 2, and eventually turned his attention to governance. First, in 1988, he was elected mayor of Palm Springs, then in 1995 he ran for Congress and won, serving until his untimely death in a skiing accident in 1998.

Cynthia Nixon

...And Just Like That and The Gilded Age star Cynthia Nixon takes her advocacy and politics seriously. The actor, who takes a very progressive stance on most issues, ran for New York Governor in 2018. Though she didn't win, her voice in the race did raise many issues that have become staples of political campaigns in the state ever since.

Shirley Temple

She was the biggest little star of early Hollywood, but after her acting career, Shirley Temple got very involved in Republican politics for much of the latter half of the 20th Century. She ran unsuccessfully for a congressional seat in 1967 and later became a US diplomat, serving in Ghana and Czechoslovakia, as well as in other positions in Republican administrations.

Clint Eastwood

Few people in Hollywood are as iconic as director and actor Clint Eastwood. Though he wasn't the first actor to get into politics, his stint as mayor of his town, Camel-By-The-Sea, CA in the 1980s did open set a new precedent and opened the doors for other celebrities to get involved, no matter which side of the political aisle they stood on.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan is far better remembered and celebrated for his time in politics than his time in Hollywood, though his acting career for notable for movies like Knute Rockne, All American, and Bedtime For Bonzo. He shifted to politics in the 1960s, first as governor of California, then as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

Al Franken

Havard-educated Al Franken made a name for himself as one of the best comedy writers and stars of the '70s and '80s, writing for and starring in SNL and appearing in movies like Trading Places. In 2008 Franken ran as a Democrat for Senate in his home state of Minnesota. He won that race and won again in 2016 before resigning after a controversial photo emerged at the height of the #metoo movement.

Steven Michael Quezada

Albuquerque native and Breaking Bad star Steven Michael Quezada is passionate about his hometown and has served on the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners since 2017. Before that, he served on his local school board.

Melissa Gilbert

Melissa Gilbert gained fame as Laura Ingalls on Little House On The Prairie and was active in the Screen Actors Guild throughout her career in Hollywood, eventually serving as the union's president between 2001 and 2005. In 2016 Gilbert ran for Congress in Michigan but dropped out early in the race.

Hill Harper

Hill Harper first found fame in CSI: NY and later as a cast member of The Good Doctor. In 2024, he parlayed that fame into a Senate run in Michigan as a progressive candidate. Harper had long been active in politics, though he lost in the Democratic primary to Representative Elissa Slotkin.

Fred Grandy

Fred Grandy is most famous to TV audiences for playing Gopher in The Love Boat, but he's been connected to politics his whole life. His roommate at boarding school was President Dwight Eisenhower's son David and Grady even served as the Best Man when David married Julie Nixon at The White House in 1972. Grady served four terms in Congress, starting in 1987, as a Republican Representative from his home state of Iowa. He ran for Governor of Iowa in 1994 but lost.

Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura is a rarity in Congress. Not only did he first get famous as a professional wrestler and later star in movies like Predator and The Running Man with fellow actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was elected as Governor of Minnesota as a third-party candidate. As the only member of the Reform Party to ever win major office, he served one term in the state house after first getting into politics as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN.

George Takei

Beloved Star Trek star George Takei has been active in politics for more than five decades. Not only is he a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, he has worked in local LA politics since the 1970s. He ran for local office in 1973, was later appointed to the mass transit board in LA, and ran for California State Assemblyman in 1978.

Gil Hill

Gil Hill was best known for playing Inspector Todd, Axel Foley's boss in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. The late Hill was a police officer, which is how he ended up playing the police inspector in the movies, his only Hollywood role. In 1994 he was elected to the Detroit City Council and became President of the board in 1997. In 2001 he ran for mayor but lost to the notorious Kwame Kilpatrick.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Other than Ronald Reagan, the most famous actor-turned-politician has to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before conquering Hollywood completely, the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger became an American citizen in 1983 and registered as a Republican. He's first official foray into politics was as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under George H.W. Bush in the early '90s. In August of 2003, the Terminator star announced he would be running for Governor of California and won in a special recall election later in the year. In 2007 Schwarzenegger was reelected to serve a full term, retiring from the Governor's mansion in 2011.

Will Rogers

Entertainer Will Rogers never had an official capacity in government, though he was named honorary major of Beverly Hills for two days in 1926. Still, the legendary vaudeville actor and humorist was actively involved in politics his whole life and even ran a fake campaign for President in 1928 to highlight the absurdities of campaigning.

Glenda Jackson

American actors are not the only ones who have gotten involved in politics. English actress, and two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson gave up show business to run Parliament as a member of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. Jackson was first elected to Parliament in 1992 and served for 23 years before retiring and returning to acting in 2015. Jackson passed away in 2023.

Donald Trump

This entry doesn't need much explanation; it's obvious. Donald Trump, though not an actor per se, found a lot of success in the entertainment business with cameos in movies like Home Alone 2: Alone in New York and Zoolander, and, of course, starring on the hit reality show The Apprentice. Trump parlayed that notoriety into a White House run in 2016, and the rest is history.

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson was known for playing stern characters like an Admiral in Top Gun and probably most famously as District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order. He also served nine years as a Republican Senator from his home state of Tennessee from 1994 until 2003. Thompson ran for president in 2008 but lost in the primary to John McCain.

Diane Neal

While Fred Thompson may be the most famous actor in the Law & Order universe to get into politics, he wasn't alone. Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal ran for Congress in New York in 2020 as a progressive independent, but finished a distant last in a four-person race won by Democrat Antonio Delgado.

Sonny Landham

Almost everyone knows that two members of the cast of Predator became governors, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura both serving as such. But they weren't the only cast members to run. Sonny Landham, who played Billy Sole in the movie, ran in the Republican primary in the race for Governor of Kentucky. Though he lost that race, he stayed involved in Kentucky politics, running for various offices over the years without winning. Landham died in 2017.

Sheila Kuehl

Sheila Kuehl started acting on television in the 1950s and is best know for her role as Zelda on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in the early '60s. In the early '70s she left show business and became a lawyer. Since 1994 Kuehl has served in numerous appointed and elected positions in California and has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ben Jones

Though Ben Jones played kind of an idiot on The Dukes of Hazzard (the mechanic, Cooter), in his real life, he served two terms in Congress as a Democrat representative from Georgia. He'd long been involved in political movements dating back to the '60s when he was active in the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

Kimberlin Brown

Soap opera legend Kimberlin Brown has played the role on Sheila Carter in well of 1000 episodes of soaps, most notably The Bold And The Beautiful. In 2016 she became a staunch advocate from Donald Trump and spoke at the Republican National Convention that year. In 2018 she ran for Congress in California's 36th District, losing to incumbent Raul Ruiz.

Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite is most famous for playing the patriarch of the Walton family in The Waltons in the 1970s. Later he starred as Jackson Gibbs, father of Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in NCIS. Three times Waite ran for Congress as a Democrat in California, including once in a special election to replace the recently deceased Sonny Bono in 1998. Later that year he ran again for the same seat in the general election. He lost both races to Bono's widow, Mary Bono.

George Murphy

Before Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, there was another actor who won a statewide election in California. George Murphy served as a Republican Senator from California for one term from 1965 until 1972. Before that, he was also president of the Screen Actors Guild and starred in some of the biggest musicals of the 1930s and '40s.

Antonio Sabàto Jr.

Antonio Sabàto Jr. made a name for himself as a model and actor in the 1990s, starring on shows like General Hospital and Melrose Place. He has long been a staple of Reality TV in the years since. In 2018, Sabàto ran for Congress as a Republican in California's 26th District. He lost to incumbent Julia Brownley in the heavily Democratic district.

Tex Ritter

Tex Ritter was a legendary actor in Westerns and on stage as a country singer. He was also the father of the late, great John Ritter. In 1970 he for the Senate in the Republican primary in Tennessee, but lost to Bill Brock. Brock went on to pull off an upset in the general election when he defeated Al Gore, Sr.

Park Overall

Park Overall is best known to sitcom fans as the sassy nurse on Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls. In 2012, she was a progressive candidate for a Tennessee Senate seat and finished third in the Democratic Primary.

Stephen Peace

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is one of the all-time great B-movies from the 1970s. The man behind the whole series is producer and actor Stephen Peace. The low-budget movie became such a hit in video rentals that it spawned a franchise. After developing the first film, Peace got into politics, first getting elected to the California State Assembly in 1982, where he served for 12 years before moving to the State Senate in 1994 and serving eight more years there.

Bob Dornan

As an actor, Bob Dornan is best known for his recurring role as a pilot in the legendary ABC series 12 O'Clock High. He is far better known for his staunch conservative politics as a Congressman from California for almost twenty years from the '70s until the '90s.

Tracy Brabin

Coronation Street star Tracy Brabin entered politics in 2016 when she stood for a seat in Parliament in the U.K. as a Labour Party candidate. She won the seat and served in the House of Commons for five years, leaving in 2021 to stand for mayor of West Yorkshire. She's served in that role since winning that year.

Alan Autry

After a brief career as a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers (starting three games in 1976), Alan Autry turned to Hollywood and co-starred as Bubba Skinner on NBC's In The Heat Of The Night. He left show business after becoming a born-again Christian and settled in Fresno, CA. He served as the mayor of Fresno for two terms before leaving because of term limits in 2008.

As the 2024 movie schedule continues, one particularly controversial film is set to hit theaters is The Apprentice. Just weeks before Americans decide between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election, Sebastian Stan is portraying a young Trump. However, Stan and his co-star Jeremy Strong insist the movie itself is not political.

The Apprentice has been in the works since 2018, while Donald Trump was president, however, it wasn’t until last fall that the movie was filmed. Jeremy Strong (who is best known for his role in the Succession cast) plays American lawyer Roy Cohn alongside Stan's Trump in the movie, and he shared these thoughts about it with Entertainment Weekly:

The Apprentice takes place during Donald Trump’s early years in business. It reportedly focuses on the relationship he had with Cohn, who was a New York City prosecutor known for working with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.

Sebastian Stan, who gained 20 pounds to transform into Trump, also added his thoughts about the film in the interview:

The Apprentice has been wrought with controversy lately. For one, Trump has said he will be taking legal action against the film, calling its contents “pure malicious defamation”. The film's director Ali Abbasi responded by saying he doesn’t think Trump “would dislike” the movie and has offered to meet the former president, screen it for him and have a post-movie chat.

On the controversy front as well, one of the movie’s big investors, Dan Synder, who is also friends with Trump, donated $1.1 million dollars to the production, thinking it would paint him in a positive light, and was apparently furious with the final cut. He allegedly asked for specific scenes in the movie to be changed without luck.

The film reportedly depicts Trump raping his first wife Ivana (played by Maria Bakalova), which she initially alleged happened in 1989. Trump has denied these allegations. Ivana later took a step back and disavowed that it was rape in 2015, clarifying that on one occasion she and Trump had “marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage” where she “felt violated”. Ivana died in 2022.

The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to an 11-minute standing ovation and positive reviews from critics. During the EW interview, Strong also said he believes the movie is more focused on the relationship between Cohn and Trump and is “not a political movie.” He said:

So, while it's hard to separate Trump from politics, according to the actors in this film, it does not take a political stand. To see the story they're telling, you can catch The Apprentice in theaters on October 11.

As anyone with a television is well aware at this point, the upcoming Presidential election and the race to it has taken over large chunks of the 2024 Fall TV schedule, from the usual cable news coverage to channel-spanning primetime debates. Politics is also a frequently discussed topic on the daytime chat show The View, whose hosts recently took aim at Diddy for hoarding lubricants and at Anna Delvey being allowed on Dancing with the Stars.

Of course, the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is also a core topic of discussion at times, and whenever the all-female panel gets into those conversations, specifically in reference to the controversy regarding the 2020 election, they’re required to read off the legal note from Trump’s team that states he “denied any wrongdoing related to the 2020 election.” Indeed, once the conversation was wrapping up on the October 2 installment, someone offscreen motioned for Hostin to read the aforementioned note.

That moment sparked moderator Whoopi Goldberg to temporarily delay the impending commercial break by questioning the sporadically seen executive producer Brian Teta about the practice. Here’s how that exchange went down:

• WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I find that so interesting. We have to do these legal notes each time to say what has been proven to be a fact. We have to deny it on their behalf. Is that right?
• BRIAN TETA: We have to state the denials that they’ve stated.
• WHOOPI GOLDBERG: One day you’ll tell me why. I think I’ve told you a couple of times but we can talk about it again. I find it odd when everybody has seen it, and they know that it’s not necessarily the truth.
• BRIAN TETA: We're showing what [Trump’s team] has said on the record.
• ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: We can do it off-air, guys.

It's unclear what, if anything, was discussed during the commercial break, at least for those at home. Audience members who were present for the taping may have some idea. But fans probably shouldn't expect to find clues about it within The View's episodic video that was uploaded to YouTube, because that portion of the conversation was edited out.

The Times Donald Trump Apparently Turned Down Appearing On The View

Back in April, around the time when Brian Teta signed a lucrative four-year extension to his contract to stay on as The View's executive producer, he talked to Deadline about the thought process behind booking guests during political races, and how the creative team plans for avoiding potential controversy. And in that convo, he addressed the fact that Trump and his namesake son have both been on the show in the past, saying:

When asked if there was a chance The View would welcome Trump back ahead of the 2024 election, Teta shared a bit of a non-optimistic answer, based on the former POTUS' past refusals. As the EP put it:

The View is indeed a far different show than it once was in the early days with Barbara Walters as moderator, although I'm not certain if that version of the show would have had Donald Trump on as a political candidate either, if for different reasons.

With upcoming guests such as LeVar Burton and Nathan Lane, The View airs weekday mornings on ABC at 11:00 a.m. ET, with the previous week's worth of episodes available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

Acting can be a transformative process, both literally and figuratively. Actor Sebstian Stan can speak to that reality on two different fronts, as the 2024 movie schedule sees the MCU vet becoming a practical chameleon in both A Different Man and The Apprentice. When it comes to the Donald Trump historical drama, that transformation was pretty extensive, as the man who will reprise the role of Bucky Barnes in the upcoming MCU movie Thunderbolts* rapidly gained weight in order to play The Donald.

The actor spoke to this in conversation with Variety on behalf of both pictures preparing to be released to the public over the course of the next month. When the discussion surrounding The Apprentice’s pre-release buzz came around, Stan mentioned that when director Ali Abbasi was getting ready to finally shoot the long developing project, he asked the Captain America actor about the scope of weight gain he could realistically take on.

Responding to that question in the interview, Sebastian Stan had this answer to offer:

When running down the figures of this brief bulk up, The Apprentice lead clocked his final result as coming in at 15 lbs within those two months. Though that may not be terribly surprising when compared to Mark Wahlberg’s Father Stu weight gain, it’s still pretty shocking when going from the physique of a superhero to that of a controversial real estate developer/former president.

So what exactly does the finished result look like? Well, if you watch The Apprentice’s current trailer, you’ll get plenty of looks at Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of Donald Trump. But for the purpose of this report, I’m going to include an image from one of those moments below:

I hope for Mr. Stan’s sake, he didn’t have to endure as disgusting of an experience as Mark Wahlberg’s “miserable” Father Stu diet. While that was the key to The Union actor’s safe weight gain process, I’d like to think that in the years since that production, there’s been further development of a careful, yet not tasteless diet that Sebastian Stan could have used.

Though you can probably bet that the press rounds for The Apprentice will include questions about that very subject. I’d especially anticipate that line of questioning when looking at how production on this awards contender wrapped roughly a month before Thunderbolts* went into action.

We’ll see what happens in the lead-up to The Apprentice’s October 11th launch in domestic theaters. Before that, Sebastian Stan fans will be able to see him in A Different Man, which opens at the box office this weekend in limited release. And, of course, those who want to reunite with James Buchanan Barnes before Thunderbolts* storms into the multiplex, a Disney+ subscription will give you the keys to that metaphorical motorcycle of merriment.

As the Democratic National Convention airs on the 2024 TV schedule, viral moments are flying around left and right. Now, after instances like Lil Jon showing up to rap “Turn Down For What” got the internet talking, they’re sharing their thoughts about the cameraman who cut to a poor random woman after Oprah Winfrey made a comment about childless cat ladies.

During her speech at the DNC, Oprah explained that if a house was on fire, we wouldn’t ask about the victim's race, religion, sexuality or political leanings. She then said, as you can see in the video from CBS News below, that “if the place belonged to a childless cat lady” they’d try to save the cat too.

Notably, when she said “childless cat lady,” the camera cut to a random young woman named Teresa Woorman in the audience. It’s unclear why that happened. However, the internet sure does have thoughts about it, as viral reactions like this one from @SpencerAlthouse are flying around X:

For a bit of context, back in 2021, Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate JD Vance made comments on Fox News (via NBC News) about Kamala Harris and how she was among “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” He then went on to name a few other prominent Democrats who don’t have children – Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – and explain that the party is “controlled by people without children.”

In the comments of the viral video where Oprah referenced Vance’s statement, many shared their thoughts about that random woman being shown on camera. Quite a few referenced Beyoncé as they posted things like this:

Others felt bad for her because of the choice the cameraman made, and they expressed that through comments like:

• Omg I was thinking the same thing. And even the way the poor girl turns around -@nickelgeetweets
• Ok cuz I was like???? Why tho 😭😂😂😂😂 -@ladidaix
• I did the same thing! Like why’d yall cut to her like thaaaat?!?! 😂🙃 -@IPProfEvans
• Randomly drafting someone to be the face of childless cat ladies is wicked work -@slimerothstein

The woman shown in the video, as I mentioned earlier, is Teresa Woorman, and she’s a delegate from District 16 in Maryland, The Guardian reported. She also responded to this viral moment. However, she didn’t shy away from it, she leaned into it, and wrote this on X:

While many felt bad for Woorman, clearly, she got a kick out of the situation, and it’s another major viral instance to come out of the DNC.

Honestly, it’s kind of a bummer Saturday Night Live isn’t on right now. The sketch comedy show (which you can stream with a Peacock subscription) probably would have had a heyday with a situation like this. However, the series, those signature presidential impressions, and Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris impression, specifically, come back on September 28, so the DNC will have been over for a while.

Although, if the presidential race has proven anything, it’s that we need to expect the unexpected. There have already been so many viral instances, and there will surely be more to come.

Jack Black’s many movies are surely well known to many moviegoers, but some may not be aware that the actor is also a celebrated musician. He’s been able to channel most of his musical talent through Tenacious D – the rock comedy duo he formed with Kyle Gass. The two have toured steadily over the years but, more last month, their plans hit a bit of a snag after Gass came under fire. The singer and actor made a joke about former U.S. President Donald Trump, leading his and Black’s group to cancel their upcoming tour and go on hiatus. Black recently emphasized his love for the D and also shed some light on what might lie ahead for the fan-favorite group’s future.

What Did Kyle Gass Say About Donald Trump That Stirred Up Controversy?

Tenacious D’s controversial situation was set in motion back in July during one of the duo’s concerts. A clip from the event was posted to the Internet and showed Jack Black asking Kyle Gass to make a birthday wish. Gass then responded with the following remark:

Said statement was a reference to the reported assassination attempt on the former U.S. President, which occurred at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July. The Elf alum’s viral joke surfaced only a day after Donald Trump was hit by a bullet. As noted by ET, Kyle Gass released a statement shortly after, apologizing and calling his remarks “highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.” He also stated that he doesn’t “condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.” Jack Black later commented on Instagram, saying:

The School of Rock star had long remained mum on any details regarding the future of the D after sharing his statement. But, now that he’s broken his silence, his comments may have fans breathing a sigh of relief.

How Did Jack Black Address The Future Of Tenacious D?

Jack Black recently walked the red carpet at the premiere of his latest movie, Borderlands (which opens this month as part of the 2024 movie schedule). The comedian caught up with ET at the event, during which he was asked to send a message to fans of his iconic rock comedy group. While his statement was brief, he did make a notable confirmation:

So it would appear that the D will return, though when or how that happens remains to be seen. One has to wonder if Jack Black will have the time to fit his responsibilities to the group into his schedule any time soon. He’s been incredibly busy as of late, having promoted Kung Fu Panda 4 earlier this year and wrapped production on another upcoming video adaptation, the blockbuster Minecraft. (Interestingly, it was seemingly teased that a Tenacious D reunion may happen in that latter movie, but that’s just speculation right now.) Aside from that, Black also plays the eponymous role in the upcoming film Dear Santa. Needless to say, he’s been booked and busy but, if we go by his latest comments, it seems he’ll be ready to get back to his music at some point after the Donald Trump situation.

Longtime MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was back on the air this morning, and he was not a happy camper about the reason he was taken off the air on Monday. The former congressman, who has hosted Morning Joe since 2007, criticized the explanation the network gave him and even dropped an ultimatum, saying he wouldn’t host the show anymore if the situation repeated itself.

Making sense of exactly what happened is still a little complicated at this point, but it seems everyone involved at least agrees on a rough outline, starting with the failed assassination attempt against former President Trump on Saturday. The major broadcast networks and politically-oriented cable news channels altered their programing to cover the shooting, many for the rest of the weekend. On Sunday night, MSNBC tweeted from the Morning Joe account that the program would return on Tuesday and be replaced by ongoing coverage of the tragedy. 

Rival cable news network CNN ran a story claiming the real reason Morning Joe was benched was because network executives were worried about what one of the hosts or their guests might say. Scarborough, on the other hand, claims he was told by network executives that all MSNBC programming would be preempted by a news feed covering the assassination attempt that would be simulcast on all NBC stations. That never happened, however, and Morning Joe was mostly replaced by more standard breaking news coverage specific to MSNBC.

Watching other people report on what will almost certainly be the biggest story of the year during Morning Joe’s timeslot didn’t sit very well with Scarborough, nor with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist, who also questioned the decision on the air this morning. Scarborough, however, was more vociferous than the others, and when they tried to move on, he circled back and delivered a clear ultimatum to the network…

We may never know the exact specifics behind why Morning Joe was given the day off on Monday, but it is clear the decision created a lot of confusion amongst both fans and those working on the show. The hosts addressed the topic for almost three minutes on Tuesday in a very candid way, and thousands of users on social media openly talked about what a curious decision it was. The longtime talker, which has been running for more than fifteen years, is arguably MSNBC’s flagship show and Scarborough is maybe its most famous talking head alongside Rachel Maddow. Typically in moments of great crisis, viewers expect to see familiar faces. No doubt many turned on the TV on Monday morning expecting to see Joe, Mika and Willie.

The decision to replace them would make sense if this wasn’t their beat. A lot of programming across television was preempted, modified or removed following the assassination attempt if the tone didn’t fit with the moment, but talking about politics and the political ramifications of world events is exactly what Morning Joe seeks to do every day. Given the evolving nature of what happened, maybe a decision was made and plans changed. Or maybe there’s a larger lack of trust here in the Morning Joe crew from MSNBC management. We really don’t know, but at least the team made it very clear how they feel and where they stand.

Next to the Megalopolis screening, The Apprentice is one of the buzziest films expected to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this week. It’s the first major portrayal of former President Donald Trump on the big screen, and many plot details have been kept under wraps. What we do know is that Sebastian Stan will be playing a young Trump, and the film will mostly center around his relationship with mentor Roy Cohn, who is played by Succession cast member Jeremy Strong. Very few people have actually seen the film, but according to a recent report, some who have aren’t happy. One investor in the film is allegedly furious with the final cut and how it portrays the real estate mogul.

A report published by Variety details the behind-the-scenes scramble happening in the wake of investors viewing the final cut of The Apprentice. According to their sources, Dan Snyder, a billionaire friend and supporter of Trump invested over a million dollars into the film under the impression The Apprentice would be a flattering portrayal of the 45th president, unlike the Brendon Gleeson Trump portrayal in The Comey Rule miniseries. That is apparently not entirely the case, and now the investor is reportedly furious and feels misled. The Snyder-backed company Kinematics is where the investment came from, and now they are trying to block the film’s release.

The entire hoopla has resulted in a legal battle, with cease-and-desist letters being sent. However, Kinematics president Emanuel Nuñez has publicly insisted the company was involved in creative discussions involving the film, and Snyder just wasn’t involved. Several scenes that Snyder allegedly took issue with involve interactions between Stan’s Trump and ex-wife Ivana, who is played by Maria Bakalova. Despite pushback, Snyder is not the sole investor in the film, and will likely not be able to have any bearing on the film’s release.

Even if this controversy is to be believed, The Apprentice seems to firmly be premiering at Cannes along with many other highly anticipated 2024 titles. It has yet to secure distribution, but due to the timeliness of the subject matter and the star power involved, there will likely be many interested studios keen to distribute. There will also likely be a push to get the film out before the 2024 presidential election, in which Donald Trump is the leading Republican candidate. Whether this has any impact on the election is yet to be seen, but the media’s impact on elections is more prevalent than ever.

It is also unknown if Snyder will be in attendance at the Cannes Film Festival. The Variety article states that the investor has previously been a fixture at the French festival, however his alleged protest against the film’s release may prevent him from attending. The attention on The Apprentice and its rumored content already made it a buzzy subject for the upcoming awards season, and this behind-the-scenes conflict will likely only increase audience interest. We will just have to wait and see how viewers respond when it’s finally screened.

The Apprentice has yet to lock down a release date, however audiences can expect the film to premiere later this year. For more information on other movies heading to cinemas and streaming in the near future, make sure to keep an eye on our 2024 movie release schedule.