Fall of the Late Night Empire? Jasmine’s Harsh Warning Sends Social Media into a Shaken State!

The late-night television landscape, once a cornerstone of American entertainment, is facing an existential crisis in 2025, and a fiery warning from Representative Jasmine Crockett has ignited a firestorm on social media. Known for her bold rhetoric and unapologetic style, Crockett took to X in June 2025 to call out the Democratic Party’s leadership for sidelining her, declaring, “They think I’m too Black, too bold, and too loud for leadership.” Her comments, reported by Newsweek, resonated far beyond politics, drawing parallels to the struggles of late-night television as it grapples with declining relevance and accusations of homogeneity. Social media erupted, with fans and critics alike debating whether Crockett’s critique mirrors the broader “fall” of the late-night empire. Is the genre on its last legs, or can it reinvent itself? This article explores the state of late-night TV, Crockett’s influence, and the social media frenzy that has amplified this cultural reckoning.

Late-night television has been a cultural staple since Johnny Carson’s era, but recent years have exposed its vulnerabilities. A NewsBusters study revealed that in the first half of 2025, 99% of political guests on major late-night shows—Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Daily Show—leaned left, highlighting a lack of ideological diversity. This imbalance has fueled accusations that late-night TV has become an echo chamber, alienating viewers who crave balanced discourse. The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after the 2025-26 season, announced by CBS in July 2025, sent shockwaves through the industry, with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers offering measured tributes while Jimmy Kimmel lashed out at CBS on Instagram.

The genre’s struggles extend beyond politics. The Tonight Show’s reduction to a four-day schedule in 2024 and the rise of streaming platforms have fragmented audiences. A May 2025 HuffPost article on Hacks Season 4 depicted a fictional late-night host, Deborah Vance, fighting to save the genre by pivoting formats, reflecting real-world pressures. Social media has become a double-edged sword, with The Tonight Show boasting 9 billion views from June 2024 to May 2025, driven by viral clips on TikTok and Instagram. Yet, as Nate Silver noted in a July 2025 Business Insider piece, his refusal to appear on The Daily Show underscores how far late-night’s cultural cachet has fallen.

Jasmine Crockett, a Texas congresswoman and rising Democratic star, became a lightning rod in June 2025 when she accused party leaders of dismissing her for being “too Black, too bold, and too uncompromising.” Her appearance on The Daily Show in 2025, one of her two late-night spots, amplified her visibility, but her X post went viral, sparking thousands of reactions. Users on X drew parallels to late-night TV, with one writing, “Jasmine’s calling out the Dems for silencing bold voices, just like late-night shows silence anyone who doesn’t fit their liberal mold.” Another user countered, “Crockett’s energy is what late-night needs—raw, real, and unfiltered. Stop playing it safe!”

The social media frenzy highlighted a broader discontent with late-night’s formulaic approach. Fans praised Crockett’s authenticity, comparing her to hosts like Jon Stewart, who returned to The Daily Show in 2024 and hosted Oren Cass, the lone conservative guest in the NewsBusters study. Others criticized the genre’s reliance on predictable guests like MSNBC’s Chris Hayes or celebrities like George Clooney, who each appeared multiple times. Crockett’s warning resonated as a metaphor for late-night’s failure to embrace diverse perspectives, with one X user stating, “Late-night is dying because it’s too safe, too white, too same-y. Jasmine’s vibe could shake it up.”

The 2025 Emmy nominations offered a glimmer of hope, recognizing innovative formats like The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel in the Outstanding Short Form Comedy category, alongside projects from Fallon and Meyers. Yet, the dominance of The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in major categories suggests that traditional late-night struggles to compete with sharper, more focused satire. The genre’s pivot to digital content, as seen with The Tonight Show’s social media strategy, has kept it relevant, but viral clips alone can’t sustain viewership.

Crockett’s critique has sparked calls for late-night to diversify its hosts and guests. Social media users have floated names like Ziwe Fumudoh or Roy Wood Jr. as potential hosts to bring fresh energy. Others argue for a return to apolitical humor, with one X post reading, “Fallon’s games are fun, but we need hosts who can tackle real issues without picking a side.” The success of Hacks in depicting a female-led late-night show has also fueled speculation about new voices, with fans citing Crockett’s charisma as the kind of bold energy the genre needs.

As late-night television faces declining ratings and cultural relevance, Jasmine Crockett’s warning has become a rallying cry for change. Her critique of being “too Black, too bold” echoes the genre’s struggle to adapt to a diverse, polarized audience. Social media has amplified this conversation, with X users debating whether late-night can evolve or if it’s destined to fade. The cancellation of The Late Show and the rise of streaming platforms suggest a seismic shift, but the genre’s resilience—seen in Fallon’s social media dominance and the Emmy nods for innovative formats—offers hope.

Crockett’s viral moment has exposed the cracks in late-night’s empire, but it’s also a call to action. Whether through new hosts, diverse guests, or bolder formats, the genre must embrace change to survive. As one X user put it, “Jasmine’s warning isn’t just for politics—it’s for late-night. Be bold or be gone.” With the 2025-26 season looming, the future of late-night television hangs in the balance, shaken but not yet broken.