Which American presenter has not yet been the target of Donald Trump’s attacks? In a message published on Saturday, November 1 in Truth Social, the American president launched a virulent diatribe against Seth Meyers, host of late at night on NBC, calling him “the least talented ‘live’ acting person in the history of television.”
“(Seth Meyers) went on and on like a complete deranged lunatic. Why is NBC wasting their time and money on a guy like that??? – NO TALENT, NO AUDIENCE, 100% ANTI-TRUMP, WHICH IS PROBABLY ILLEGAL!!!”
This presidential outing follows a patch titled “A Closer Look,” a recurring sequence from the show, broadcast last Thursday, in which Meyers mocked a speech Trump gave to members of the U.S. Navy near Japan, mocking in particular his obsession with loyalty.
steam catapults
The president was particularly offended by the comedian’s comments about aircraft carrier steam catapults, a technical issue that Donald Trump has praised over more modern electromagnetic systems.
This isn’t the first time Trump has attacked Seth Meyers: He called him an “idiot” last month and a “stone mouth” earlier this year. More recently, in August, the president also protested against the renewal of the comedian’s contract until 2028, stating that he had “no audience, no talent, no intelligence.”
An open war against late shows
These attacks against Seth Meyers are part of an increasingly aggressive campaign led by the Trump administration against hosts who are highly critical of the president’s power and policies. Last September, Jimmy Kimmel live! was suspended for nearly a week by ABC after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, threatened to pull the network’s broadcast licenses. Jimmy Kimmel then commented on the political comeback of Trump supporters following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A few months earlier, in July, Donald Trump celebrated the cancellation of The last show with Stephen Colbertprogram that denounced a legal agreement between the Paramount studio and the president. In a press conference, the president then stated that television networks “were not authorized” to criticize him and suggested that their broadcasting licenses be withdrawn.
Faced with this offensive, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and the other late-night hosts who remained on the air joined in, ironizing their deference to the American president, pretending to be censored or forced to praise his policies. Ironically, Kimmel’s return from suspension saw record audiences, with tens of millions of people watching his comeback monologue on television, YouTube and social media.
Source: BFM TV
