Former late-night host Conan O'Brien used a appearance at the 27th annual New Yorker Festival on Monday to unload on the state of American politics, arguing that the current system rewards people who lack a soul—and pointing at Vivek Ramaswamy as his Exhibit A.
O'Brien's remarks, reported by Breitbart, came on the eve of the midterm elections and just days after Ramaswamy lost Ohio's governor's race to Democrat Amy Acton by 8 percentage points. The comedian's critique was framed as a philosophical observation about why modern political figures all seem to blur together.
"You saw this with cars, and it's going to seem like I'm going off the track, but I'm not," O'Brien said, according to Breitbart. "Cars used to look wildly different, each one. And then they started using a wind tunnel to design them, and all the cars started looking the same because it turns out that shape is the most aerodynamic. And that's why a Ford, and a Maybach, and a BMW, and a Porsche all look like this, 'cause it's the most aerodynamic shape."
O'Brien then connected the aerodynamic-car metaphor to politics, arguing that the most efficient shape for a modern politician is one that has no soul—and naming Ramaswamy as an example of the phenomenon. The former NBC host did not elaborate on specific policy disagreements with Ramaswamy; the critique appeared to be stylistic and character-based.
Ramaswamy, a Trump-endorsed Republican and former presidential candidate, had just wrapped a bruising Ohio governor's race that drew national attention for a controversial attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur."
"I do believe that leaders' words matter, and we need to hold folks accountable."
Multiple Republicans had feared the ad torpedoed Ramaswamy's bid, and the 8-point loss gave weight to that view. Flight tracking data cited in coverage of the race showed Ramaswamy apparently leaving town by private jet after the results came in.
O'Brien's comments at the New Yorker Festival landed in the same news cycle as Acton's interview and the post-election fallout, making the comedian's "no soul" line a coda to a race that turned on questions of character and decency. It is not yet known whether Ramaswamy has responded to O'Brien's remarks.
The broader context: O'Brien's festival appearance was billed as a discussion of politics and culture, and his car-design metaphor was his way of describing why politicians from both parties increasingly sound and look the same. But his decision to name Ramaswamy—rather than a generic politician—tied the abstract critique to a specific, recent loss.
Our Take
Conan O'Brien hasn't hosted a late-night show since 2021, but he's still doing the same routine: cozy up to the cultural establishment, take a swipe at a MAGA-aligned Republican, and get a round of applause from the New Yorker Festival crowd. The "aerodynamic car" metaphor is cute, but it's also a convenient way to avoid saying anything concrete. What, exactly, is soulless about Vivek Ramaswamy's agenda? O'Brien didn't say. He just let the audience fill in the blank.
Here's what O'Brien won't tell you: the same establishment that laughs at his jokes spent years praising politicians who actually are soulless—the ones who voted for endless wars, open borders, and a federal bureaucracy that spies on American citizens. Ramaswamy ran on term limits, dismantling the administrative state, and ending the Ukraine money pit. You can disagree with his style, but calling that "no soul" is projection from a guy whose biggest political contribution is a podcast appearance.
And let's not forget the context. Ramaswamy just lost an election after running an ad that even Republicans called a bridge too far. Instead of taking the L and going quietly, he's now the punchline for a comedian who hasn't been relevant since "Conan" got canceled. That's not a good week.
The real question for Patriots: do we let late-night comedians define who we are and what we stand for? Or do we keep our eyes on the prize—draining the swamp, securing the border, and making America energy dominant again? Conan can call it soulless all he wants. We call it the America First agenda, and it's just getting started.
