UPDATED: Broadcast late-night shows will continue as planned amid ongoing rioting in Washington D.C.
Individuals with knowledge of the situation have told Variety that “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden” will air original episodes on Wednesday night as scheduled.
All of the shows will no doubt have to address the situation unfolding in the U.S. capital city, but how they will do that remains to be seen. Both “Late Night” and “The Late Show” will go live.
Hosts and producers of the shows have been working at breakneck speed to write pieces that fit the moment. Once clips are available they will be added to this post.
On Wednesday afternoon, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed and breached the U.S. Capitol Building as members of Congress were attempting to count the electoral votes that would formally declare Joe Biden as the next President of the United States.
Lawmakers were evacuated as the rioters breached barricades. Thousands of protesters, waving “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and shouting “stop the steal,” flooded Capitol Hill and paraded through National Statuary Hall, creating a tense standoff with law enforcement that dissolved into violence. Tear gas was reportedly deployed in the Rotunda and shots were fired. Video from the scene showed the demonstrators smashing windows and climbing into the building. Police inside the House chamber were seen with their guns drawn as people forced their way inside.
The governors of Maryland and Virginia said they would dispatch the state troopers and activate the National Guard to help quell the violence. Kayleigh McEnany, the president’s press secretary, also said that federal officers and National Guard would be deployed.