Will the 'khakis' be making a comeback this Election Day? Steve Kornacki says 'we'll see'
The "Kornacki khakis" may or may not be making a comeback this election year.
"Some voters are undecided in the presidential race, and I guess I'm kind of undecided," Steve Kornacki tells USA TODAY during a video call from his apartment in New York City. "I'm not exactly what you call a fashion forward person. I've never had to give too much thought to my wardrobe."
Kornacki, 45, said "he truly did not get" the frenzy over his choice of outfit during the last election cycle. The NBC and MSNBC national political correspondent had gone viral on social media for his near 'round the clock election analysis and signature Gap khaki pants during the 2020 presidential election.
"I was amused by the interest," Kornacki said. "I never really understood it. It's not like I had (a) lifelong attachment to these pants. They were just what I happened to be wearing that day."
Kornacki recalled that his producer came to him a few days after the election and asked him what brand of pants he had worn on-air, leaving him slightly bewildered.
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"Maybe I'll wear it, maybe I'll wear something else," Kornacki said when asked if he plans on donning them this time. "We'll see what spirit moves me."
The khakis and Kornacki's enthusiasm over the election results also earned him the nicknames of "Chartthrob" and "Map daddy."
On which one he preferred between the two, he laughs: "Option C, neither. I take it in good spirit, but I'm a little self-conscious about (the) attention."
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Kornacki runs on Dunkin'
The khakis aren't the only thing which might not be making a comeback this election cycle. Turns out Kornacki has also switched from Diet Coke to coffee and now runs on Dunkin'.
"I don't even know why, but I started drinking coffee a few years ago, and now that's the main thing," Kornacki says, adding his go-to coffee is from Dunkin',' which also has a branch in the basement of 30 Rockefeller Center, the home of NBC Studios.
"(It's) very smooth and very drinkable after 20 minutes," he adds.
No snacks leading up to crunch time
While Kornacki expects to sip on endless cups of coffee, he says he will not be eating much "if anything" in the run up and during election night, adding he drew inspiration from the late Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who, according to Kornacki, "never coached a game having eaten."
"He would fast all day until the game because he said when he ate it took his edge off, and slowed him down," Kornacki said. "I understand that. That's kind of been my experience. Not to compare myself to the great Red, but it's an interesting perspective. A big meal definitely slows you down, even something in between."
Kornacki added he doesn't want to be dealing with a full stomach on election night.
"I want to have so much energy just from the interest in it (election results)," Kornacki said. "I don't want to take that away (by eating)."
Similar to CNN's John King and Fox News' Bill Hemmer, Kornacki says it's the adrenaline that will fuel him through the night rather than food.
"The reason I love doing elections and election nights is that we spend so much time in the runup to it, trying to figure out what's going on, and coming up with all sorts of different theories," Kornacki said. "That's truly where the adrenaline comes in. For me, it's 'I don't know what's going to happen, but we're going to find out.'"
Kornacki explained that information during election night "comes in piece by piece" and putting that together like the pieces of a puzzle excites him.
"Just watching that piece by piece (is) riveting to me, and I hope it is for the audience too," he said. "I hope the experience is we're all seeing this map (of America) slowly come into focus and take shape together."
Managing physical and mental health
A high-octane event such as this one is bound to take a toll on one's mental and physical health and Kornacki is aware of that, recalling that during the 2020 presidential election, "the fatigue did finally start to hit" him the Saturday after Election Day. Kornacki's unwavering dedication to staying awake through election night and in the days that followed also made him the subject of social media chatter and memes.
"I was barely sleeping," Kornacki says. "But for a few days there, I really didn't feel that at all. By the end, I was on like an hour of sleep for three days (and) when you're severely sleep-deprived, I think you get more emotional."
Kornacki said he wasn't aware if getting emotional was a "medically established thing," but that it felt like a "weird jet lag."
"I remember the Friday night before (Saturday's presidential election result), I had a quick break," the anchor said. "I got off the air and it was a weird feeling I can't remember having before in my life. It wasn't a particular thing, I just felt very emotional. It had nothing to do with the outcome or anything."
Kornacki did manage to catch up on his sleep later, saying that when the election got called, he "slept that Saturday longer than (he had) ever slept in (his) life."
While the journalist is hopeful that this election's official results won't take as long to arrive at as the 2020 election – given that it happened during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and an overwhelmed mail-in voting system – he said, "there's a danger in trying to anticipate anything with elections."
As for ensuring he is alert and active during the time he is on air, Kornacki said he finds "little pockets to go clear my head" by taking a walk in New York City.
"That's helpful because you're just trying to absorb all this information, these spreadsheets, maps, blah, blah and to get my head away from that and (get in) some fresh air," Kornacki said. "It's easy to get lost in the weeds preparing for this stuff, and sometimes I just need to step back and figure out what's really important and be ready to communicate."
On the actual Election Day, Kornacki says he will step out in the early, mid-afternoon hours to clear his head.
"What happens on election day (is that) you'll be inundated all day with anecdotal reports from all over the place," Kornacki said. "I want to tune out all the racket in the afternoon hours, and then come in when it's when it gets real."
Kornacki will be breaking down election results Tuesday on the "Big Board" and viewers will be able to catch it all via the "Kornacki Cam."
Politics has become a 'permanent campaign'
As for Kornacki's plans after the elections are over, the anchor jokes: "2028 starts already. They call it the permanent campaign, right?"
However, he says he does plan on taking a vacation but hasn't decided where.
"My ideal vacation is impossible because I love fall as a season," Kornacki says. "In an election year like this, I don't get to enjoy fall. I get about a 12-minute walk outside every day to get to the subway (and to the office). And that's basically how I've experienced fall this year."
He adds: "In a normal year, I would find a way to get out. I'm from New England originally and (during) foliage season, (I can) drive around. That's what I'd love to do, ideally, on a vacation."
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.