Jay Leno Weighs In On Trump’s Victory: ‘Great Day For Democracy’

Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno shared his thoughts on the 2024 Election result during an appearance on “The Talk,” calling it a “great day for Democracy.”

“We had a historic election last night and you are no stranger to going on and doing a live show, The Tonight Show, after big elections like this. What do you remember about those days?” CBS host Natalie Morales asked the veteran late-night host.

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“Well, you know it was different. In my day you kind of made fun of both sides…now you kind of have to take a side and yeah, it’s little bit different,” Leno replied, adding that he is not personally the biggest fan of the president-elect. “But the nice thing about this election is, it was fair, it was honest. Okay, I was not a fan, but that’s okay. It’s the President of the United States.”

The current host of “Leno’s Garage,” where the retired host shows off and works on classic cars, then issued an appeal to unity. “Let’s all get together,” he said. “You know my fear is…and it’s going to be name-calling,” he said. “There was no cheating. Everybody says it was honest. It’s a great day for democracy.”

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Leno was generally viewed as one of the more apolitical late-night hosts of his era. While his show was a must-stop for national political candidates throughout his run, the interviews were generally focused on comedy rather than political ideology. He has described himself as a “fiscal conservative” and “social liberal” in the past, though he very rarely wades into the partisan fray.

Leno’s approach differs from the current roster of network late-night hosts, almost all of whom inject pro-Democrat talking points into their shows.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel is taking the news of Trump’s crushing victory especially hard, as the late-night host teared up while going over the historic result in Wednesday’s opening monologue. “Let’s be honest: it was a terrible night last night. It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hardworking immigrants who make this country go,” he said before pausing.

“For healthcare, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech. It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on Social Security. For our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the troops, and democracy and decency, and it was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him — and guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him, you just don’t realize it yet.”

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