Late-night shows have gone live for past political events: “Late Show” and “Daily Show” did so after the 2018 State of the Union address and the 2016 presidential election, and Meyers did. Late-Night Comedy's Effect On Voters Date: October 31, 2008. The Privileged Role of the Late-Night Joke. Updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader.
These days, it’s not uncommon to see late-night TV hosts taking aim at President Trump. Their critiques range from silly (Stephen Colbert) to impassioned (Jimmy Kimmel) to profane and incredulous (John Oliver). And not to be outdone, Late Night with Seth Meyers offers a little bit of everything where Trump jokes are concerned.
Meyers actually may have predicted Trump’s entire political ascendance. In 2011, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, he joked about The Apprentice star making a run at the Oval Office. Trump didn’t appreciate being laughed at — but he did follow through on Meyers’ idea. And these days, he’s an almost-constant source for both funny moments and thoughtful criticism from the late night host.
Here are some of Meyers funniest jokes about Trump and his administration.
1. Stealing bits
Dear President Trump: Now it’s personal. pic.twitter.com/vffQo6ApJc
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) March 24, 2017
Before Seth Meyers took over Late Night hosting duties, he was part of Saturday Night Live’s ensemble for over a decade. And his allegiance to the NBC comedy staple is what led him to go after Trump’s lack of originality.
In March 2017, reporters took Trump to task about unsubstantiated claims he’d made about former President Obama wiretapping him. He responded by telling them, “I’m president, and you’re not.” Meyers thought the phrase sounded familiar — like, straight out of the mouth of his fellow SNL alum Chevy Chase.
So he called Trump out on his plagiarism on his March 24, 2017 show. “Okay, I didn’t mind when you talked dirty with Billy Bush or told Russia to hack Hillary’s emails. But when you start stealing bits from Weekend Update anchors, it is on.”
Meyers didn’t stop there. “Also, I happen to know this isn’t the first time you’ve done this.,” he said, before playing a clip of another Weekend Update host, Norm MacDonald, talking about fake news.
The Late Show host ended the segment with one last crass callback to SNL. “You know I hate to say this, but Donald, you ignorant slut.”
2. The Watergate Express
In May 2017, it seemed as though no one could keep up with the scandals that followed Trump and his family. First, he fired Comey. Then, a special prosecutor was chosen to continue the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election.
Meyers tried to make light of the breakneck speed at which Trump’s scandals seemed to be unfolding on May 18. “Yeah, this isn’t Watergate. It’s the Watergate Express,” he joked.
The clever allusion to the scandal that undid Nixon was funny enough on its own. But Meyers couldn’t let it go without a dig at one of Trump’s biggest sore spots. “In the Trump era every hour feels like a month,” he said, as an over the shoulder graphic showed an aerial photo of Trump’s inauguration crowd. “In fact, time now works for us the way crowd sizes work for Trump. A few thousand can seem like 1.5 million hours.”
3. Manafort’s rug
On Oct. 30, 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced the first charges in his ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Among those indicted was Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.
That evening, Meyers used his Late Night segment, ”A Closer Look”, to delve into Manafort’s crimes. And he couldn’t help himself from taking a quick jab at Trump in the process.
“The indictment has all kinds of details about how Manafort allegedly laundered money by purchasing items from high end stores, including a home entertainment company, a men’s clothing store, a landscaper in the Hamptons, and an antique rug store,” Meyers told viewers.
Then, as the over-the-shoulder graphic changed to show a close-up photo of Trump’s hair, he went on. “Wow, he allegedly laundered $1 million through a rug store. And not only that, the rug he bought wasn’t even convincing.”
4. Soft wood
In April 2017, Trump made headlines by imposing a tariff on softwood lumber sales from Canada. The action, and ensuing tensions between the U.S. and its neighbor to the north, seemingly came out of nowhere. And it was also a huge source of amusement for Meyers.
The Late Night host detailed the sudden trade conflict for viewers on April 27, 2017, though he was barely able to keep a straight face. “I’m not going to take that as an opportunity to make a bunch of penis jokes,” he said. I’m just saying that Donald Trump doesn’t want to be slapped with soft Canadian wood, so he’s clamping down on it.”
Sure, it was juvenile. But in Meyers’ defense, this joke pretty much wrote itself.
5. To Melania, with love
Melania Trump’s relationship with her husband has perplexed many. And during the Trumps’ first visit overseas, footage of the First Lady shutting down an affectionate gesture from her husband multiple times went viral.
In one clip, Trump attempted to take Melania’s hand in his as they deplaned Air Force One. But the First Lady moved her hand away before he could make contact.
Meyers discussed the not-so-romantic moment between the two during his May 24 “A Closer Look” segment. “Former CIA Director John Brennan testified today that there was contact between President Trump’s campaign and Russian officials,” he said, before showing the viral footage. “However, still no contact between Donald and Melania,”
6. A very special Father’s Day
Happy #FathersDay from Eric Trump. pic.twitter.com/5LcaMA3URy
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) June 18, 2017
Since he became president, Trump’s children have made headlines almost as frequently as he has. And their relationship with their father has been an endless source of fodder for late night hosts.
Meyers, in particular, was happy to poke fun at the Trump family as Father’s Day approached. In a series of tweets, Late Night offered a glimpse of what they imagined how the Trump children would honor their father on his special day.
And the fake Father’s Day greetings were predictably hilarious. One featured a “Merry Christmas” greeting from Eric. According to Late Night, Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. at least got the holiday right when they gave Trump an XXXXXL tie. And Tiffany, a.k.a. the “other daughter?” Well, she declined to participate.
7. And he would have gotten away with it, too
When Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the aftermath was almost as disorienting as the dismissal itself. Over the next few days, Trump’s rationale behind the move seemed to shift and change. And that erratic behavior led Meyers to point out Trump’s inconsistency with a relatable old-school pop culture reference.
On May 11, 2017, Meyers pointed out that Trump had managed to contradict “every argument his team had made on his behalf” when he announced that he hadn’t considered others’ recommendations in regard to Comey. And in doing so, “he just admitted that everything the White House has been saying since Tuesday is a lie.”
Meyers was incredulous as he tried to make sense of the president’s actions. And finally, he came up with the only conclusion that made sense. “Trump’s ego is so huge he can’t even let someone else have the spotlight in his alibi. He’s like a Scooby-Doo villain.”
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Jimmy Fallon on the 12-Year-Old Running Trump's Colorado Campaign
'A 12-year-old boy is actually running one of Trump's campaign offices in Colorado. When asked how an inexperienced child could be running things, the boy said, 'Look, he's the nominee and we're stuck with him.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Appeal to Black Voters
'This weekend, Donald Trump tried to win over black voters by asking them, 'What the hell do you have to lose?' Coincidentally, that's also the way he proposed to all three of his wives.' –Conan O'Brien
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Seth Meyers on Trump's Disastrous Campaign
'In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump has refused to endorse Republican leaders up for re-election, accused John McCain of failing veterans, suggested Americans pull their 401(k)s out of the stock market, threw out a crying baby at a rally, fought with the father of a dead soldier, and suggested President Obama was responsible for the death of troops during George W Bush's time in office. Said voters, 'Yeah, but I'm not sure I trust Hillary Clinton.' –Seth Meyers
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Jimmy Fallon on Trump Crying Foul
'Last night, CNN hosted a town hall with Republican front-runner Donald Trump, and at one point he complained that the rules of the election are stacked against him 'by the establishment.' You gotta give it to Trump. He's the only man who could inherit millions of dollars, have his name on buildings, and still go, 'Life is totally unfair!' –Jimmy Fallon
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George Bush JokesConan O'Brien on Melania Trump
'Donald Trump is polling so badly with women that at a rally last night, he had his wife, Melania, introduce him. Because if there's one thing that's guaranteed to get American women on your side, it's a foreign model who's married to a billionaire and never has to work.' –Conan O'Brien
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Seth Meyers on Paul Ryan
'House Speaker Paul Ryan this afternoon issued a formal statement ruling himself out as a potential replacement candidate if there is a contested Republican convention. And you know things are bad in the Republican Party when people who aren't even running are dropping out of the race.' –Seth Meyers
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Campaign Shakeup
'After losing in Wisconsin, there has been a big shake-up in the Trump campaign staff. In fact, the guy in charge of racist comments is now in charge of sexist comments.' –Conan O'Brien
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Seth Meyers on Bernie Sanders
'A new poll has found that Bernie Sanders is the most likable of all the presidential candidates. Which, let's face it, is kind of like being the best-dressed person at Wal-Mart.' –Seth Meyers
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Jimmy Fallon on Trump's Plan to Get the U.S. Out of Debt
'Donald Trump told The Washington Post that he'll be able to get the United States completely out of debt in eight years. When asked how, Trump was like, 'Easy, declare bankruptcy and start fresh! It's fantastic. I've done it already. It's amazing.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Conan O'Brien on the GOP's White Knight
'Ted Cruz said that a 'white knight' is not going to parachute into the Republican convention and walk away with the nomination. To which the GOP responded, 'You had us at 'white.' –Conan O'Brien
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Conan O'Brien on Trump Punishing Women Who Have Abortions
'Donald Trump says that if he is president, he will punish women who have abortions, although he doesn't yet know what that punishment would be. You know, aside from Donald Trump being the president.' –Conan O'Brien
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Seth Meyers on Trump's Abortion Position
'After saying in an interview that there should be punishment for women who undergo illegal abortions, Donald Trump last night started to walk back his comments by claiming he meant to say doctors should be punished. And I have to say, it's pretty ironic that Trump had to use Plan B.' –Seth Meyers
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Jimmy Fallon on April Fool's Day
'Tomorrow is April Fools’ Day, which means everyone will be waiting for Donald Trump to finally say, 'Gotcha! I never wanted to be president! I can’t believe you dummies let it go on this long!' –Jimmy Fallon
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Seth Meyers on Trump's Abortion Position
'After saying in an interview that there should be punishment for women who undergo illegal abortions, Donald Trump last night started to walk back his comments by claiming he meant to say doctors should be punished. And I have to say, it’s pretty ironic that Trump had to use Plan B.' –Seth Meyers
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Campaign Manager and Women
'Donald Trump's campaign manager is facing charges for grabbing a female reporter's arm. Trump scolded his campaign manager and said, 'On my campaign we only abuse women verbally.' –Conan O'Brien
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Seth Meyers on Trump's Foreign Policy Knowledge
'Donald Trump was in Washington, D.C., today to meet privately with members of his newly established foreign policy team. They went over key points like, 'This one’s Europe,' and 'No, no, no, THIS one’s Europe.' –Seth Meyers
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James Corden on Trump's Campaign Manager
'Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was recently arrested and charged with battery of a female reporter after he allegedly grabbed and twisted her arm, but Trump is dismissing the allegations and is standing by his campaign manager. I know what you are thinking – how is this the one time that Trump doesn't say, 'You're fired.' Trump's explanation for keeping Lewandowski on staff is that he's a loyal person. And Trump IS a loyal person. Just ask any of his three wives.' –James Corden
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Jimmy Fallon on Sarah Palin's New Reality Show
'Sarah Palin just signed a deal to act as a judge on a new reality court TV show. Sarah said she just wants to get a little legal experience before Trump nominates her to the Supreme Court.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Jimmy Kimmel on Trump vs Hillary
'If it comes down to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, if the vote was today, Trump would be in trouble. Clinton leads Trump in a hypothetical matchup 54 percent to 36 percent. While 68 percent of likely general election voters view Donald Trump negatively and the other 32 percent don't have Twitter or television.' –Jimmy Kimmel
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Jimmy Fallon on Record Voter Trunout
'Three more states went to the polls yesterday, and a lot of places wound up having record turnout. I guess people really want to be able to tell their grandkids, 'There used to be a country called America and I voted in its last election.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Seth Meyers on Campaign Media Coverage
'Bernie Sanders admitted that he ran as a Democrat rather than an Independent to get more media coverage. And it worked, but if you really want to get some media coverage, try running as a fascist.' –Seth Meyers
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Supporters
'Donald Trump continues to baffle and astound. A new study found that Donald Trump's speeches are at a fifth grade level. In other words, he's speaking two grades above his supporters right now.' –Conan O'Brien
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Jimmy Kimmel on Hillary and Bernie Teaming Up
'Bernie Sanders was here on Tuesday and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is here tonight. They're an interesting pair because they're still competing with each other, but eventually we know they're going to team up to stop the deranged billionaire who wants to take over the world. Which if you think about it is basically the plot to 'Batman vs. Superman,' the movie. They spoiled it without giving an alert.' –Jimmy Kimmel
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Jimmy Fallon on Marco Rubio Quitting
'Marco Rubio pulled out of the race after losing the Florida primary to Trump by almost 20 points. But he still has a great story. I mean nothing symbolizes America more than the son of poor immigrants growing up to run for president and being crushed by a billionaire.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Bill Maher Endorses Ted Cruz For President
'So, yes, Ted Cruz will be our worst president, but Donald Trump might well be our last. Which is why I say: Better Ted Than Dead.' –Bill Maher, endorsing Ted Cruz for president
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Jimmy Kimmel on Palin's Reality Show
'One of Donald Trump's most high-profile supporters, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, is planning to host a new reality courtroom show. She would be the judge. The show doesn't have a title yet but they're thinking about calling it 'Terrible Idea.' It's a strange thing. People wanting to run the country are now hosting reality shows and people hosting reality shows now want to run the country. We live in a very confusing time.' –Jimmy Kimmel
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Seth Meyers on Trump's Victories
'Donald Trump won the Republican primaries in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina. Trump did especially well with white males, Caucasian men, and non-women of no color.' –Seth Meyers
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Conan O'Brien on Who Created Trump
'Republicans are blaming President Obama for creating Donald Trump. While others say he was created in a lab when a young real estate developer was bitten by a radioactive douchebag.' –Conan O'Brien
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John Oliver: Trump Is America's Back Mole
'Donald Trump is America’s back mole. It may have seemed harmless a year ago, but now that it’s become frighteningly bigger, it’s no longer wise to ignore it.' –John Oliver
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Support
'Donald Trump has dropped to second place in a national poll. On the bright side, he’s still polling number 1 among Germans of the 1930s.' –Conan O'Brien
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Trevor Noah on Trump's Penis
“The great debate: Does Donald Trump have a small or large penis? I’ve gotta say, personally? I think it’s huge. After all, he’s using it to f*ck the entire Republican Party.' –Trevor Noah
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Seth Meyers on Trump the Snake
'Trump is kind of like the movie Snakes on a Plane. Sure the idea is entertaining. But an actual snake on your plane would be terrifying. And that's what's happening now. The plane is American democracy. And the snake is Trump.' –Seth Meyers
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Jimmy Fallon on Hillary Clinton's Victories
'Hillary Clinton had a big night, picking up victories in seven states. While speaking in Miami last night Hillary said, 'I believe what we need in America today is more love and kindness.' Then she added, 'And I will crush anyone who won't let me do it.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Jimmy Kimmel on Chris Christie
'Chris Christie flew all the way to Florida to stand behind Donald Trump supporting him. Throughout the speech, he looks genuinely miserable. He looks like he saw the bottom of a supposedly bottomless pasta bowl at Olive Garden. He looks as though someone just told him butterscotch causes cancer.' –Jimmy Kimmel
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Conan O'Brien on a Trump Presidency
'Nearly 70 percent of Americans said a Trump presidency would make them 'anxious.' And 30 percent said a Trump presidency would make them 'Canadian.' –Conan O'Brien
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Jimmy Fallon on a Trump Presidency Getting Real
'Last night was the Republican caucus in Nevada, and Donald Trump scored a big victory, bringing him one step closer to the Republican nomination. A Trump presidency is getting so real, Mexico is starting to think a wall is a pretty great idea.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Conan O'Brien on Trump and the Poorly Educated
'After he won yesterday's Nevada caucus, Donald Trump said, 'I love the poorly educated.' Trump then said, 'And when I'm president there'll be more of them than ever.' –Conan O'Brien
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Jimmy Fallon on Trump's Wife
'In a new interview, Donald Trump's wife, Melania, said that she speaks English, Italian, French, and German. Which is good 'cause if she ever becomes first lady she'll need to apologize for her husband in at least those four languages.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Seth Meyers on Trump and Cruz
'Donald Trump said last night that despite calling Ted Cruz a 'maniac,' he has since learned that Cruz has a 'wonderful temperament.' And if Donald Trump thinks you have a 'wonderful temperament,' you're probably a maniac.' –Seth Meyers
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Jimmy Fallon on NASA
'NASA said this week it has received a record high number of 18,000 applications for their astronaut training program. NASA said it shows a growing interest in space exploration. Then people said, 'Nah, we just wanna get off the planet before this election.' –Jimmy Fallon
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Jimmy Fallon on Hillary Speaking to God
'In last night's Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton said that several times a day, she speaks to God. But never for under $100,000.' –Conan O'Brien
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Conan O'Brien on Trump and Equality
'Donald Trump said, 'There’s nobody that’s done so much for equality as I have.' That’s right, he said: 'In some states, I’m hated equally by blacks and Hispanics.' –Conan O'Brien
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Conan O'Brien on Hillary's Plan to Beat Trump
'Analysts say Hillary Clinton's plan to defeat Donald Trump involves painting Trump as 'dangerous and bigoted.' She plans on doing this by quoting Trump accurately.' –Conan O'Brien
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Jimmy Kimmel on Trump Winning Super Tuesday
'You know how in high school sometimes the students will vote for the weirdest kid in class to be prom king as a joke, and then so many people get in on the joke, the kid actually becomes prom king? Well, anyway, Donald Trump won Super Tuesday.' –Jimmy Kimmel
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Stephen Colbert on Trump
'Donald Trump was declared the big winner in the South Carolina primary by himself weeks ago, and the voters said, 'Yeah! OK! That sounds good!' So now the obvious question is, will he ever not win? Yes, Trump is unstoppable. He's like Godzilla with less foreign policy experience. I thought he was just doing this to promote his reality show or sell more steaks. When he announced his intention to be president, it never occurred to me that his end game was to BE president.' –Stephen Colbert
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Conan O'Brien on Trump's Immigration Stance
'Despite Donald Trump's tough stance on immigration, Trump Modeling Agency is beign accused of hiring lower-paid foreign models. In his defense, Trump says those aren't laborers, those are 'future wives.' –Conan O'Brien
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Jimmy Kimmel on Trump's Infomercial
'Trump held a press conference at his golf club in Jupiter, Florida, last night where he defended himself against charges that he isn't 'presidential.' He does everything better than anybody. If he was running for queen, he would be the queenliest queen. And how did he demonstrate that presidential behavior? By plugging Trump Water, Trump Magazine, Trump Vodka, Trump Wine, and Trump Steak. He's showing his steaks. I'm pretty sure it's the first campaign speech I've ever seen given next to a pile of unrefrigerated beef.
Weeks Funniest Late Night Political Jokes
'Trump was upset that Mitt Romney said a bunch of his business ventures failed so he set these tables up on stage to showcase some of his many products. There's the water and the wine and the meat. Is this Fox News or QVC?
Late Night Political Jokes Updated Dailymotion
'They're up on the stage next to him as he spoke. It's like he made a trip to Costco right before the speech. Boy did Chris Christie pick the wrong night to be on that stage, huh?' –Jimmy Kimmel
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