Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Stewart, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at Xi's state visit plus 'The Daily Show's and Kimmel's Emmys

I'm returning to something I apparently haven't done since June 2, 2026, when I posted Stewart, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at Freedom 250 concert falling apart and other news, compile the previous night's monologues into a post. I begin with Will Republicans Divorce Trump Over Xi Embrace? Probably Not | The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart examines the limits of Republican allegiance to Trump after his weekend of wooing President Xi with granite, helipads, and an exclusive tour of the White House ballroom. Will MAGA loyalists denounce Trump's offer to sell weapons to China, America's supposed enemy, or is their frustration with the president a Susan Collins-style display of feigned outrage?
When I called for continuing cooperation between the U.S. and China in U.S.-China EcoPartnerships: The CoDominion plans for sustainability 15 years ago, the U.S. selling arms to China was not what I had in mind! Not only does Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump have the worst case of L'Etat, c'est moi I have ever seen, he sees everything that isn't a way to aggrandize himself as a commercial opportunity that could enrich himself. I'm reminded of the quote attributed to Lenin, "The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." Pervert Hoover is certainly living down to that sentence.

It wouldn't be a closer look post without Seth Meyers, who also examined Xi's visit in Trump Rejects Iran Deal as GOP Turns on Him, MTG Says MAGA Is Dead, Xi Tours Ballroom: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump saying he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Republicans openly broke with him and called for an end to the war.
Pervert Hoover was being too accomodating to Xi about the ballroom, that is, if it's really about national security and not just his edifice complex. Also, I'm a geologist and I'm not as into granite as Pervert Hoover thinks he and Xi are.

As for Republicans opposing the war and distancing themselves from Pervert Hoover, I think that's as much because of the war's effect on fuel prices as anything else. I lived through the stagflation of the 1970s and today looks a lot like 50 years ago. It reminds me that people get more upset about inflation than unemployment. That's one of the reasons I used to be all over gas prices; they affect people's mood and political choices, as the GOP is figuring out and Pervert Hoover is ignoring. I think he's too focused on the third thing he cares about after self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment, revenge. He can't get over how Iran has frustrated him.

Jimmy Kimmel covered Xi's visit and more in Jimmy Kimmel Throws Matt Damon Out, Trump Throws Lavish State Dinner & Jon Hamm Throws a Pothole Fit.

We are back in Brooklyn for a week of shows, Guillermo won’t be with us until Wednesday because he is busy Dancing with the Stars, no quarterback has been sharper after the game than Giants QB Jameis Winston, Jimmy kicks an annoying Red Sox fan (Matt Damon) out of the audience, Trump hosted President Xi of China for a state dinner, and the monologue gets interrupted by a pothole crew and their angry supervisor (Jon Hamm).
Before I go onto to something serious, that's the best "your momma" bit I've ever seen on TV! As for Pervert Hoover being a hypocrite about state dinners, file that under "there is always a tweet" (or clip, in this case).

Enough of last night's monologues. Follow over the jump for the Emmy Awards won by The Daily Show writers and Jimmy Kimmel.


First, the two categories I covered in 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program
  • The American Revolution: "Episode One: In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775)" – Geoffrey C. Ward (PBS)
  • The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize – Jennifer Flanz, Ian Berger, Zhubin Parang, Devin Delliquanti, Scott Sherman, and Jordan Klepper (Comedy Central)
  • The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy: "Living the Royal Life in the UK" – David Reilly and Christine Rose (Apple TV)
I'm revisiting a prediction from Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina subjects of leading nominees for Outstanding Historical Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy AwardsL "I'm noting that The American Revolution earning just this one nomination here suggests to me that it's eligible for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I expect it to be nominated there, too." And it earned two, this and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. I'll brag more when I write the entry for that category. In the meantime, The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse is the returning winner, so it's the nominal favorite, although I might change my mind when I examine The American Revolution vs. Mr. Scorsese.
I didn't change my mind and I was right. Watch Writing for a Nonfiction Program: 78th Emmy Awards.

The team from The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize accepts the Emmy for Writing for a Nonfiction Program at the 78th Emmy Awards.
And the Television Academy gave a prize, just not to Pervert Hoover.
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
  • The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize (Comedy Central)
  • Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. (PBS)
  • My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (Netflix)
  • The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy (Apple TV)
  • Tucci in Italy (Nat Geo)
Tucci in Italy earned 3 nominations, The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize and The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy both earned 2, and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman both have only this one. Gold Derby's experts and users think The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize is the leader as the choice of 71.4% of experts and 59.0% of users, but only 16.7% of editors. The rest of the editors, 83.3%, have chosen Tucci in Italy, while 28.6% of experts and 31.6% of users agree. The rest of the users are split among the remaining nominees, 4.9% to My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, 3.3% to Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr., and only 1.2% to The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy despite its 2 nominations.
Some of the editors lost their resolve, as 75.0% of the editors stuck with Tucci in Italy by the time of the ceremony along with 17.6% of experts and 29.7% of users. The defectors joined the 76.5% of experts (rounding error), 25.0% of editors, and 65.9% of users backing The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize. They shouldn't have lost their nerve. Watch Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special: 78th Emmy Awards.

The team from Tucci in Italy accepts the Emmy for Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Somehow, I'm not surprised. Tucci in Italy was the defending winner. Congratulations!

Now for the categories I covered in 'Jeopardy!' predicted to repeat as Outstanding Game Show at the Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Host for a Game Show
  • Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
  • Ken Jennings – Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
  • Colin Jost – Pop Culture Jeopardy! (Netflix)
  • Jimmy Kimmel – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
  • Martin Short – Match Game (ABC)
On the other hand, Gold Derby does not think Jimmy Kimmel will repeat. Instead, every expert, 83.3% of editors, and 89.7% of users expect Martin Short will win. The editors and users split on the runner up. The remaining 16.7% of editors plus 3.3% of users think Ken Jennings will finally walk off the podium with an Emmy, while 4.7% of users pick Jimmy Kimmel to repeat. Steve Harvey, who regularly won this award when it was part of the Daytime Emmy Award, has user support of 1.4%. Electorates matter. Colin Jost sits last with 0.9% of users.
By the time of the Saturday ceremony, All the professionals had abandoned Jimmy Kimmel, herding around Short and Jennings. They missed the sympathy vote for Kimmel, while the users started to pick up on it, as 5.6% of them supported him at the end. They were right. Watch Host for a Game Show: 78th Emmy Awards.

Jimmy Kimmel accepts the Emmy for Host for a Game Show at the 78th Emmy Awards.
Congratulations, Jimmy K.! Gold Derby didn't believe in you, but your peers in the Television Academy love you!
Outstanding Game Show
  • Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
  • Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
  • The Price Is Right (CBS)
  • Wheel of Fortune (ABC)
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
Celebrity Family Feud, Jeopardy!, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire co-lead with two nominations, while The Price Is Right and Wheel of Fortune have only this one. Jeopardy! is the defending winner, so it's my default choice to win. The Gold Derby oddsmakers agree, as every expert and editor plus 97.6% of users think it will repeat. The rest of the users split between Celebrity Family Feud with 1.5% and Wheel of Fortune with 1.0%. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Price Is Right have no votes. That's overwhelming!
A few users drifted away, but it didn't matter. Watch Game Show: 78th Emmy Awards.

The team from Jeopardy! accepts the Emmy for Game Show at the 78th Emmy Awards.
I agree; the writers and researchers deserve the praise.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for the last entry of September, which should be something topical I can share in October.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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