A Tribute to "Chartthrob" Steve Kornacki and His Beloved Khakis

As Americans wait to see whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump will be elected president, many turn to khaki-clad political correspondent Steve Kornacki for coverage.

By Elyse Dupre Nov 05, 2024 5:00 AM
| Updated Nov 05, 2024 10:46 PM
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The results are in.

No, not for the 2024 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump—but for how the internet feels about Steve Kornacki. And let’s just say, the national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC won fans over by a landslide.

Over the years, Kornacki has earned titles like "map daddy," "chartthrob" and the internet's boyfriend as he tirelessly covered elections with his "Big Board" and khakis. He was even featured in People’s 2020 Sexiest Man Alive issue.

“You want to talk about where there might be vote fraud and where there might be tabulation errors—whoever added that up for that People magazine thing, I don’t know how I got on that list,” Kornacki said on an episode of The Rich Eisen Show that year. “I tell people, 'They got the alive part right.'"

Alive and thriving. Just ask stars like Chrissy Teigen and Leslie Jones.

“Steve Kornacki in them khakis! Wooooooo!” the Saturday Night Live alum raved on Today. “OK, first of all, Steve Kornacki is the sexiest nerd on TV.”

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And you could say Kornacki is a bit of a fashion influencer—as Gap confirmed it saw a huge boost in khaki sales after he wore them during his coverage of the 2020 election. 

Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images

“We saw a dramatic increase in online traffic and within a day,” a spokesperson for the brand told the Los Angeles Times that year, “the number of Straight Fit Palomino Brown khakis we sold online went up 90 percent.”

If you’re looking for the stats on how many pairs of khakis Kornacki owns, he’s got those too.

“Certainly single digits,” the 45-year-old told Rich Eisen during his radio appearance. “I’m gonna say five.”

As for how he picks which set of pants to wear on which day, he added, “Usually it’s whatever’s clean.” And Kornacki is happy viewers have grown to expect his uniform, which also typically features a white button-down and striped tie.

“I like that,” he noted to Eisen. “If this means I’ve gotten myself off the hook for the rest of my life from really having to get dressed up, I’ll take that.”

In honor of election day, here’s a tribute to Kornacki and his khakis.

(E!, NBC News and MSNBC are all part of the NBCUniversal family).

The Man With the Pants

Meet Steve Kornacki: journalist, Massachusetts native, khaki lover. 

The Steve Kornacki Ensemble

Much like his penchant for khaki pants, Kornacki also enjoys a striped tie and rolled up sleeves. 

Hello, Khakis!

Ah, a fancier version of the signature Kornacki ensemble. 

A Man and His Map

Behold the joy of Kornacki with his map board. 

Team Khakis

And Kornacki doesn't just wear his khakis on election night. He also kicked off the 2022 football season in the classic pants.

Game Time Ready

You better believe his outfit for March Madness 2023 was also a slam dunk.

New Year, Same Pants

Kornacki rang in the new year in his time-honored trousers.

Nobody Puts the Khakis in the Corner

*BRB, just printing this one out for the fridge*

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