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The former “Tonight Show” host, who performs Friday at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, took over the late-night interview program from Johnny Carson in 1992. He hosted the show until 2009 and then returned to hosting it from March 2010 to 2014.

“It’s so divisive now,” he says. “It’s all about hating this group or hating that group or it’s anti-women or it’s anti-gay. It’s just a negative feel to everything now. You know, it’s funny, the country’s actually in pretty good shape, but everybody just feels bad all the time.”

Leno says it seems as if Donald Trump has become the primary focus on late-night television.

“Trump’s the only thing you talk about on late night anymore, and I don’t care for the guy. Nothing to do with politics, I don’t like him personally,” he says. “You know, I had him on the show I didn’t like him then; I don’t care for him now. You know when you’re sort of neutral, it’s easier to make fun of both sides, and I don’t want to be just another comic giving my political opinion, because I don’t think my political opinion counts for anything.”

Currently residing in Hollywood, in addition to traveling and doing stand-up, Leno hosts CNBC’s “Jay Leno’s Garage,” where he indulges his passion for cars. A longtime collector, Leno has more than 280 vehicles. He says that cars keep him grounded living in a place like Hollywood.

“You know the real trick to living in Hollywood is just to observe it,” he says. “To live here, not actually become a part of it, just sort of observe it and take notes and it’s hilarious. It’s very funny.”

One of Leno’s most recent observations came as he was driving down Hollywood Boulevard.

“I drive by this stupid porno shop, and it said, ‘We’ll be open Thanksgiving Day all day,’ and I said to myself, ‘Can’t you put this crap away for one day?’” he says. “I mean is there really people on Thanksgiving morning in there looking for some stupid porn thing. I mean, it just made me laugh. I mean, what planet are we on here.”

Traveling for stand-up, Leno says he likes figuring out what’s funny to people around the country.

“Nowadays everybody has access to the internet. Everybody has access to the same information. The only thing that’s really different now is that TV’s not the great uniter,” he says. “Back in the ’80s or ’90s, you say, ‘Hey, have you seen this TV commercial where the guy does this?’ there’s a good chance that 99.9 percent of the audience knew what you were talking about. Now, people are on Netfix, are on YouTube. I mean, there’s no commonality there.”

Leno says it’s easier to gauge what audiences find funny doing live stand-up instead of being seen on television.

“Audiences keep you grounded. You’re only as funny as your last show,” he says. “You know when you work on TV, they have a laugh sign. They have a laugh track. You have people that will tell you, ‘Oh, that was hysterical.’ It’s a mentality. They just laugh. They go along with it because you’re who you are. When you go out, people actually pay money. They don’t want their time wasted. You’ve got to make it worth their while.”

He compares it to working on cars.

“When you take a transmission out and your hands are all cut up and greasy, you realize some guy just made 80 bucks for doing that,” he says. “It makes you appreciate, you know, when people buy a ticket to come see you. … I don’t take anything for granted.”

Despite his success on TV and in front of live audiences, Leno says he continues to craft his material.

“I’m a huge believer in low self-esteem,” he says. “Only actors and criminals have high self-esteem, and it just makes you cocky and stupid and, you know, if you just shut up and listen and pay attention and be extremely grateful, that’s really the trick.”