Conan O'Brien has never been known as the most overtly political figure in comedy. But during his commencement address at Harvard University, the former late-night host delivered one of the sharpest and most direct rebukes of President Donald Trump and his administration that audiences have heard from him in years.
Unlike contemporaries such as Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers, all of whom fans expect to insert political commentary into any public appearance, O’Brien has largely avoided becoming a political voice. Even at the height of Trump-era late-night, O’Brien typically leaned more absurdist and self-deprecating than overtly partisan.
But the comedy icon took a different approach at Harvard. Addressing the Trump administration’s legal battle with Harvard, O’Brien mocked the Justice Department lawsuit by announcing that he too would be suing his alma mater. He joked that Harvard owed him damages over “the cast-iron bed” he slept in as a freshman, his “less-than-spectacular undergraduate sex life,” and a dining hall meal featuring “government-issued cod and spaghetti.”
But the jokes quickly gave way to pointed criticism of the administration’s policies. O'Brien particularly focused on the administration's effort to limit enrollment of foreign-born students at Harvard, doing so in his signature style.
“The current administration feels Harvard admits too many foreign students. And who knows, maybe they may have a point,” O’Brien said. “After all, what has any foreigner ever added to our American culture, with the possible exception of music, literature, art, cuisine, fashion, architecture, dance, scientific breakthroughs, and the core of our moral codes and ethical beliefs?”
The speech also included a broader warning about nationalism, narcissism, and declining empathy in American culture. While few comedians are as thoughtful and insightful as O'Brien, they still felt unusual coming from the typically cartoonish funnyman.
“I understand that I am preaching modesty and connection at a time when this is not in style,” he said. “We are living through a period of extreme narcissism. Our current leadership in Washington believes that empathy is a weakness, and that our nation stands supreme and alone.”
The remarks echoed the tone O’Brien struck earlier this year when accepting the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center shortly after Trump’s controversial takeover of the institution’s board.
At the 2025 event, O'Brien did not name President Trump but delivered a similar takedown of the current leader's values. O'Brien championed democracy, empathy, and character through a masterful use of Twain's own words.
Still, even that appearance was more restrained than Thursday’s commencement address, where O’Brien repeatedly and explicitly targeted both Trump and his administration’s policies. It served as a reminder that at any venue, in any capacity, and on any topic, few people can creat laughs like Conan O'Brien.
Add us as a preferred source on Google