Vince Vaughn Calls Out the Late-Night Shows for Pushing Political Agenda [WATCH]

Actor Vince Vaughn said late-night television has lost its appeal due to an increased focus on political messaging, arguing that audiences have turned away from shows they view as agenda-driven, as reported by Page Six.

Speaking Tuesday on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, Vaughn said talk shows have shifted away from entertainment and toward promoting specific viewpoints.

“They never get it right,” the “Wedding Crashers” actor said. “I think that talk shows, to a large part, became really agenda-based.”

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Vaughn continued, “They were going to [evangelize] people to what they thought. You know what I mean? And so people just rejected it because it didn’t feel authentic. It felt like they had an agenda.”

The 55-year-old actor said the tone of late-night programming changed significantly when political commentary became a central feature. “It started feeling like I was f–king in a class I didn’t want to take,” he said. “I’m getting scolded.”

While Vaughn did not directly name specific hosts, his comments appeared to reference late-night figures such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, both of whom have been outspoken critics of President Donald Trump.

Vaughn has not appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2015 and has never appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which is scheduled to end in May.

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The conversation began when podcast host Theo Von said late-night shows have struggled in part because of their focus on certain audiences.

Von suggested that the shows frequently target “white, red-neck people,” which he said may contribute to declining viewership.

Vaughn responded by pointing to the rise of podcasts as an alternative form of entertainment that audiences find more engaging.

“If you look at what happened to the talk shows and why their ratings are low, it’s got only to do with the fact of what you just said, which is they all became the same show,” Vaughn said.

“And they all became so about their politics and who’s good and who’s bad,” he added.

Vaughn used a hypothetical example to describe his reaction to that format, saying, “And it’s like, imagine sitting next to someone like that on a f–king plane. You’d be like, bro, how do I get out of this f–king seat?”

The actor has previously identified as a Libertarian and has been seen at events involving President Trump. In April 2025, the White House shared a photo of Vaughn and President Trump together in the Oval Office.

President Donald J. Trump & Vince Vaughn in the Oval Office pic.twitter.com/mav8cMqirJ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 18, 2025

Earlier that year, Vaughn attended the president’s Inaugural Starlight Ball, where he was photographed interacting with attendees.

During the podcast, Vaughn was asked whether his views have affected his standing in Hollywood, which is often described as politically left-leaning.

“I always got along with people and try to be honest about who I am,” Vaughn said. “But yeah, there’s times you felt like it would’ve been easier. It’s almost like a career move.”

He added that his views do not align entirely with any one side. “There’s s–t I don’t agree with at all, and then there’s s–t I don’t agree with at all,” Vaughn said, noting that “nobody wants to be told what to do.”

The comments come as late-night television continues to face competition from podcasts and other digital platforms, with ongoing discussion about changing audience preferences and programming direction.

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