Leading up to the November election, hosts tried to expand their focus to other candidates, but when it came to staying topical, Trump continued to dominate the news, especially once the coronavirus forced the country to more actively consider its leadership (or lack thereof) during the crisis. As the world shut down, late-night hosts offered not just levity during a troublesome and anxious time, but also a (mostly) comic counterbalance to the administration’s outpouring of misinformation. Then, as a wave of Black Lives Matter protests this summer drew more attention to the persistent and urgent matter of racial injustice in America, late-night shows became a forum for difficult but necessary conversations — and, in some cases, apologies. 