Jordan Klepper says most young male Trump supporters he met were kind and driven more by culture than cruelty.

'Daily Show' Host Reframes Views After Meeting Trump-Supporting Youth

Jordan Klepper, co-host of “The Daily Show,” shared unexpected observations about young male voters who supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Speaking to Variety, Klepper revealed that he was surprised by their demeanor while filming his upcoming Comedy Central documentary, MAGA: The Next Generation.

“I had such a cynical perspective of the youth walking into this thing,” Klepper admitted. “I expected to be confronted by a bunch of d--- — 22-year-olds who want to rail on trans people in sports and kick out all the immigrants. But the cruelty wasn’t there.”

The documentary focuses on college-aged men, a demographic that swung significantly in favor of Trump during the most recent election cycle. Rather than encountering hostility or aggressive political views, Klepper found many in this group to be “pretty kind” and more captivated by the cultural spectacle surrounding Trump than by policy positions.

“MAGA was suddenly framed by pundits in the manosphere as punk rock, as counterculture,” Klepper said. He pointed to social media as a powerful influence, noting how algorithms reward extreme and hyperbolic content, ultimately shaping political identities and discourse.

Though he acknowledged “dicey” experiences during Trump’s first term, Klepper came away from filming with a sense that the MAGA movement’s future may hinge more on visibility and celebrity than ideology. “Once you remove the attention and fame, the movement becomes far more politically vulnerable,” he observed.

Documentary Airs Amid Paramount’s Legal Dispute With Trump

The documentary’s release comes at a complicated moment for Klepper’s network. Paramount, which owns Comedy Central, is currently embroiled in a high-profile legal battle with President Trump. The lawsuit stems from a “60 Minutes” interview that Trump alleges amounted to election interference. The case has already prompted the resignation of longtime “60 Minutes” producer Bill Owens in April.

Despite the legal turmoil, Klepper stated that neither he nor his production team has been pressured by network executives to alter content. However, he admitted that uncertainty looms. “The future is always a big question mark, industry-wise, administration-wise. Who knows if free speech will be legal six months from now?” Klepper said. “I can’t f---ing control any of that, so I’m going to enjoy what we have right now.”

Klepper’s candid remarks and documentary shed light on a more nuanced portrayal of young MAGA voters, challenging assumptions and revealing how performance, perception, and social media may have overtaken traditional ideology in shaping political behavior among younger demographics.