Jokes Nikki Glaser ultimately skipped at the Golden Globes
What's the story
Nikki Glaser, the host of the 2026 Golden Globes, recently revealed that she refrained from making certain political jokes during her opening monologue. Although she did take shots at the Justice Department and CBS News, she decided against poking fun at President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as it felt "too trivial."
Host's perspective
Glaser's reasoning behind cutting political jokes
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Glaser explained her decision. She said, "I was going to come in at some point and say, 'I'm hearing from the bar that we're out of ice. And you know, we don't really need ice. And actually, I hate ice.' It just felt like, oh, even that's just being too trivial." "That's what it felt like. This isn't even that anymore," she added. "It's hard to strike the right tone."
Political avoidance
Glaser avoided mentioning Trump due to political sensitivity
Glaser also chose not to mention Trump, saying it felt too political. She said, "It was like, you just don't say that guy's name right now." The comedian added, "I just want to give it space." However, other celebrities used the opportunity to speak out against the fatal ICE shootings of Renee Good and Keith Porter.
Celebrity activism
Other celebrities spoke out against ICE shootings
On the red carpet, several celebrities, including Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes, wore pins that read "BE GOOD" and "ICE OUT." The black-and-white pins were a response to the fatal shooting of Good by a US ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, in Minneapolis on January 7. Porter was also killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year's Eve. Ruffalo used the opportunity to call out Trump, saying, "We're in the middle of a war with Venezuela that we illegally invaded."
Other cuts
Glaser also cut other jokes from the telecast
Apart from political jokes, Glaser also cut several other jokes from the telecast. One of them was a joke about Sean Penn's appearance, which she described as "looking like the defiant last tree standing in a rainforest." Another joke was about Leonardo DiCaprio's dating habits: "Leo (DiCaprio), why are you always squinting? I mean, I assume it's to read your girlfriend's ID, just making sure that the year starts with a two."