When Nikki Glaser stepped onto the stage to host the Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, she delivered a sharp monologue that poked fun at media and power. But behind the scenes, she was making careful choices about what not to say.
In the days following the ceremony, Glaser opened up about the jokes she deliberately cut—especially those touching on immigration enforcement and former President Donald Trump. In hindsight, the comedian said some material simply didn’t feel right for the moment.
Why an ICE Joke Didn’t Make the Cut
Speaking during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show on Tuesday, Jan. 13, Glaser admitted that she initially planned to include a wordplay joke referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But as she rehearsed it, something felt off.
She explained that the joke—built around pretending the venue had “run out of ice”—came across as too light given the broader context. Nikki Glaser admits that joking about ICE at the Golden Globes felt overly trivial, saying the punchline didn’t match the gravity of what was happening in the real world.
“It just felt like, even that is minimizing things,” Glaser said. “It’s hard to strike the right tone when the subject itself is so serious.”
Keeping Trump Out of the Spotlight
Glaser also revealed that she avoided mentioning Trump altogether, despite having prepared lines that referenced him. According to her, even saying his name felt unnecessarily political at a time when tensions are high.
“There was a moment where I thought, maybe you just don’t say that guy’s name right now,” she said, adding that she wanted to “give it space” rather than inflame an already polarized atmosphere.
A Different Kind of Statement on the Red Carpet
While Glaser opted for restraint on stage, other celebrities used the Golden Globes red carpet to make pointed statements. Actors Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes were among those who wore black-and-white pins reading “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT.”
The pins were worn in response to recent fatal shootings involving ICE agents, including the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and Keith Porter in Los Angeles. Ruffalo, speaking to USA TODAY, said the gesture was meant to honor the victims and call attention to fear and uncertainty felt by many Americans.
“This is for the people who are scared right now,” Ruffalo said, emphasizing that the issue went beyond politics and into questions of humanity and justice.
Other Jokes That Ended Up on the Cutting Room Floor
Politics weren’t the only reason Glaser trimmed her set. She also revealed that a joke referencing the renaming of the Kennedy Center—where she planned to jokingly call the Beverly Hilton the “Trump Beverly Hilton”—was scrapped after advice from Steve Martin, who originally suggested it.
Beyond that, Glaser cut several celebrity-focused jokes that leaned more toward shock humor than timing. These included playful jabs at Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Poehler, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and others—material she ultimately felt didn’t serve the flow of the night.
Choosing Tone Over Shock Value
For Glaser, hosting the Golden Globes wasn’t just about landing laughs—it was about reading the room. The comedian made it clear that comedy doesn’t exist in a vacuum, especially during moments shaped by political tension and real-world tragedy.
