CNN's NYE special: Whitney Cummings roasts Dems and Biden, Diplo says he's on LSD

Comedian Whitney Cummings held no punches on New Year's Eve, going after President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris − and even CNN.

During CNN’s live New Year’s Eve celebration, Cummings roasted 2024 and sounded off on how the election "fried our brains" after the "Democrats couldn't hold a primary because they were too busy holding a body upright," seemingly referring to the conversation surrounding the president's health.

"Are we still rolling, am I off?" Cummings said before pausing for a few seconds. "Go for it," host Andy Cohen gleefully replied as Anderson Cooper simply looked on.

"It was amazing that the pro-choice party didn't give their voters one when it came to the presidential candidate," the comedian continued. "Kamala was forced on us so hard, you'd think she was patented by Pfizer or Moderna … oh god, Andy just gave me a really scary look."

Cummings also mocked CNN's low ratings during their live coverage Tuesday night, saying: "I'm not playing 3,000-person shows, which is about the viewership of CNN these days."

Roy Wood Jr. says no to tequila shot from Andy Cohen

Roy Wood Jr. took a hard pass on the free-flowing tequila during the special.

On-air shots are a tradition for hosts Cooper and Cohen, who offered a drink to the comedian and his CNN “Have I Got News for You” comedy panel co-stars Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black while ringing in 2025. Ruffin and Black accepted, but Wood quickly recoiled.

“Oh, no. No, no, I don’t,” Wood told Cohen and Cooper. “The last Black man that drank on this network got fired. I’m going to keep it with water for right now. I need some stability.”

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The former “Daily Show” correspondent and guest host, 46, seemingly referenced longtime CNN host (and New Year's Eve regular) Don Lemon, who was fired by CNN in 2023 after saying Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a woman in her 50s, was no longer “in her prime” while calling out Haley for age bias against President Joe Biden. He subsequently apologized for his remarks.

CNN had no comment when contacted by USA TODAY, which has also reached out to Wood.

'Not gone catch me slippin,' says Roy Wood Jr. on social media

Wood’s refusal went unnoted on the show, but he doubled down on X, sharing CNN’s clip of the moment and writing on X, “Not gone catch me slippin in the Deuce-Five.”

In 2024, Lemon reached a settlement with the cable news network. He sued Elon Musk in August after X pulled the plug on his announced “The Don Lemon Show.”

"I didn't lose my job," he told USA TODAY earlier this year of his CNN gig, while discussing his new book “I Once Was Lost.” "My job lost me."

It’s not the first time the show has generated a stir with alcohol in New York City’s Times Square. Drinking was banned after the 2021 show, when Cohen slammed Ryan Seacrest and ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on the air. In 2023, booze returned to the televised show.

"I’m hearing from a lot of people asking, 'Does Daddy get his juice?' " Cohen joked at the time.

Diplo says he's on LSD during CNN's New Year's Eve special

Diplo rang in 2025 on a "light trip."

While being interviewed by Cohen and Cooper during CNN's New Year's Eve special Tuesday, the DJ revealed he was currently on LSD.

"I'm curious, what is the most conventional place you've done LSD?" Cohen asked Diplo according to a clip of the exchange shared by Pop Crave on X, formerly Twitter.

"Right now," Diplo casually responded. "Yeah, I did some on the helicopter, on the way here," he added as Cooper giggled uncontrollably over the reply.

"I'm not even lying," Diplo said deadpan. " … it's like a light trip."

Contributing: Pamela Avila, David Oliver and Bryan Alexander