In the great Late Night War of 2010, NBC pretty much forced the hilarious and innovative Conan O’Brien out of his long-promised gig as host of The Tonight Show after less than a year on the air. (His successor was also his predecessor, Jay Leno.) O’Brien got a big contract buyout and speculation ran wild as to where the tall redhead and former Simpsons writer would wind up—ABC? Fox? Syndication? He ultimately chose TBS, which ever since has built a brand of comedy around Conan and his show, Conan.
More often than not, the show follows the standard talk show format of which O’Brien is a veteran and master: monologue, comedy bit, celebrity interviews, band, credits. But O’Brien has also set himself apart from the crowded late night field with special broadcasts where the host goes to different countries around the world, learns about the culture, connects with locals, and makes fun of himself. Conan Without Borders has offered viewers a look into misunderstood, even maligned countries, such as Mexico, Israel, Cuba, and Germany. To that end, the next place Conan will hit is: Haiti. Producers decided to go there after Donald Trump called the Caribbean country (among others) a “sh*thole.”
To promote Conan Haiti, O’Brien let some Haitians give Trump a taste of his own medicine. On Conan last night, O’Brien let locals let loose and stick it to Trump. “President Trump insulted Haiti, so I thought it was only fair to give Haitians a chance to return the favor,” O’Brien said.