The Endlessly Meme-able Steve Kornacki Is Not a Meme Person

Standing in front of a gigantic map isn’t a traditional path to fame. But in 2020, during the presidential face-off between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Steve Kornacki became America’s sweetheart for his enthusiastic delivery of state-by-state election results. The NBC data analyst gracefully guided teeth-grinding, fist-clenching viewers through Biden’s eventual victory, and the rest is history: That same year, Kornacki was named one of People’s sexiest men alive; the internet became obsessed with his khaki pants; and he earned the nicknames “chartthrob” and “map daddy.”

Kornacki further established himself as the king of election season with the “Kornacki Cam” during 2026 midterm primary election nights, when his nonstop behind-the-scenes livestreams amassed 42 million views.