Today’s TBT commemorates what would have been Johnny Carson’s 89th birthday. The late night icon and so much more wasn’t too keen on expressing his own political views, and was even hesitant to bring political guests on his show for fear of it becoming used as forum to influence the views of his audience. But politics didn’t, and couldn’t, stay out of ‘late night’ for long.
Here are some “throwback” political appearances in the late nights of past. Enjoy!
1960: JFK appears on Jack Parr’s Tonight Show
1968: Richard Nixon delivers a signature line on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
1975: Ronald Reagan appears on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
1976: Gerald Ford becomes the first president to appear on Saturday Night Live
1992: Bill Clinton plays saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show
2000: George W. Bush delivers a Top Ten list on Late Night with David Letterman
2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger declares his candidacy for California governor on Jay Leno
2008: Sarah Palin raps on Saturday Night Live