Leslie Jones finally fulfilled her dream of meeting MSNBC correspondent and internet heartthrob Steve Kornacki when she guest-hosted The Daily Show on Tuesday night. And their long-awaited encounter couldn’t have been more delightful.
Even if you’re not a regular MSNBC watcher, you’ll probably remember Kornacki’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election, which earned him a lot of praise for his dashing looks and stylish khakis. Three years later, Jones’ affection for the winning political analyst hasn’t subsided. Not only has she waxed poetic about her cable-news crush on social media, he’s even become a topic of conversation on her various talk-show appearances.
Likewise, Jones kicked off her flirty interview with Kornacki by playing a clip package of her publicly lusting after him. In the montage, we see the Saturday Night Live alum on the Today show last month calling Kornacki the “sexiest nerd on TV.” She also thirsted over his use of a calculator on The Kelly Clarkson Show back in 2021.
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“Oh my god,” Jones laughed when the package ended. “I’m so embarrassed, but not really.”
Jones started off by asking Kornacki how he kept his facts straight while reporting on polling numbers. She also posed a series of questions about the 2024 presidential election, specifically Donald Trump’s chances of beating Joe Biden. None of Kornacki’s well-articulated answers seemed to matter, though, as Jones mostly responded with giggles. (Kornacki was equally down to clown.)
She also gifted him with a calculator wrapped up in a bow, which he stated he might use for the next election. Jones was predictably ecstatic.
When it came to Kornacki’s musical tastes, though, the Ghostbusters star got serious for a moment. “Now I heard that you didn’t know who Taylor Swift was, which… I don’t care,” Jones said. “But do you know who Beyoncé is?”
After giving the question a half-second of thought, Kornacki responded, “yes,” looking like he was surprised by his own answer. In turn, Jones joked that she wasn’t “gonna have to divorce” him.
While an actual union between Kornacki and Jones seems unlikely—Kornacki came out as gay in 2011—the chemistry between these two can’t be denied.
