Colbert and Kimmel Remain Silent on Eric Swalwell Controversy — No Jokes Made at Disgraced Democrat’s Expense

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Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel haven’t addressed the serious accusations against Eric Swalwell, a former Democratic colleague. Despite their usual political commentary, neither host has made any jokes about the situation since Swalwell stepped down last week.

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have become well-known for regularly joking about politicians. That’s why it’s so noticeable when a big political issue arises and they remain silent.

A recent report from Breitbart notes that late-night talk show hosts haven’t mentioned the situation involving former Congressman Eric Swalwell. He recently resigned from Congress and ended his campaign for governor after multiple women made accusations against him. While these accusations haven’t been proven, they were significant enough to quickly end his political career.

And yet, if you tuned into late night this week, you wouldn’t know any of it happened.

No Monologue. No Punchline. Nothing.

That’s what stands out here. Not disagreement, spin, or even a bad joke.

Just silence.

Despite regularly joking about political controversies on their shows, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel haven’t said anything about Eric Swalwell, based on the period covered in the report.

As a film and TV buff, I’ve noticed something really strange lately. It’s hard to miss how quickly shows jump on controversies involving figures on the right. Usually, a big issue becomes a whole storyline, and a scandal? Instant TV segment. It’s just… glaring when you consider how little attention similar situations get elsewhere.

Unless, apparently, it’s one of their political friends and allies.

A Familiar Face on Friendly Stages

This wasn’t some unknown politician flying under the radar.

I remember seeing Eric Swalwell pop up on late night shows quite a bit – both Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! – usually when he was trying to raise his profile politically. And honestly, the interviews always felt pretty friendly, like the hosts were really in his corner, almost giving him free publicity.

Now, as controversy surrounds him, that relationship has quietly vanished from the conversation.

There was no investigation, questioning, or demand for answers regarding the former congressman’s reported actions. Instead of covering the story thoroughly, the focus simply shifted to different subjects, avoiding any critical examination.

The Double Standard Question

Over the last ten years, late-night talk shows have intentionally started offering more political commentary. They’ve evolved beyond just being comedy shows and now often act as critics of political actions and trends, keeping a close watch on what’s happening in politics and culture.

That comes with expectations.

I can’t help but wonder, if a Republican politician faced accusations like these – even if they hadn’t been proven yet – would everyone just shrug it off? It feels like a double standard is at play, and I think it’s a really important question to ask ourselves.

Or would it lead the monologue for a week straight?

If someone like Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley, both Republicans, had done this, you’d see entire comedy shows dedicated to making fun of them. It would be framed as political satire, but it would really just be people mocking them.

Silence Is Still a Statement

It’s understandable that these shows don’t report on every single news story. They have to make choices about what to cover, and it’s normal that some headlines are left out.

When reporting consistently favors one side and completely ignores the other, it stops feeling like fair reporting and starts to resemble propaganda.

And in today’s media landscape, audiences notice that difference immediately.

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2026-04-20 18:57