Late-night host Seth Meyers has sharply criticized President Donald Trump, mocking the 80-year-old leader for a rambling, off-topic phone interview on Fox News. The segment, which aired on Late Night, highlighted the president’s inability to remain focused on the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away at age 71 on Saturday.
During the Fox News appearance, host Lawrence Jones made multiple attempts to redirect the conversation toward a tribute for Graham. Trump, however, repeatedly pivoted to unrelated subjects, including claims of election fraud, mail-in voting, and what he characterized as Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Meyers noted that the network’s control room appeared to struggle with the interview, eventually abandoning photos of the late senator as the president wandered into other topics.
Meyers advised the network to just hang up on him,
suggesting that the president’s conversational style mimics that of an elderly person who has “nowhere to be” and “nothing to do.” He quipped, This is how 80-year-olds cancel airline tickets without paying a fee. They just torture you with small talk until you give up.
Controversy Over Comments on Lindsey Graham’s Death
Beyond the Fox News interview, Meyers criticized comments the president made regarding the specific cause of the senator’s death during a separate White House press event. Trump told reporters that “great doctors” had revealed that a part of Graham’s body literally blew up.
Meyers questioned the medical terminology used by the president, joking that the doctors sounded like characters from a cartoon. Literally blew up. Was the doctor Wile E. Coyote?
the host asked, adding that the president should strive to show more decorum when discussing the death of a long-time ally.
Criticism of Administration Priorities
Meyers used his “A Closer Look” segment to argue that the administration is prioritizing bizarre obsessions
over the economic struggles of everyday Americans. He pointed to a failing economy and the president’s broken campaign promises to lower the cost of gas and groceries as evidence that the White House is not addressing the most pressing issues facing the country.
The host highlighted several specific areas of focus within the current administration that he described as “nonsense” or “insane”:
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Meyers mocked Kennedy’s focus on the sperm count of teenagers, questioning the relevance of such lectures and noting that studies have shown no cause for panic.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: Meyers criticized Hegseth’s plan to require annual testosterone level checks for the military, asking rhetorically if testosterone would resolve the ongoing conflict in Iran.
- Aircraft Carrier Technology: The host played footage of Trump expressing anger over the use of electric catapults on aircraft carriers rather than traditional steam-powered versions, a topic Meyers described as a “long-running obsession.”
Economic Policy and Administrative “Grift”
Meyers further criticized the administration’s handling of foreign policy and internal ethics. He noted that despite the president claiming 38 times that a deal had been reached regarding a pointless and costly war,
no agreement has been finalized. Additionally, the host pointed to reports of a White House teleprompter operator profiting $100,000 from betting on Trump’s speeches, remarking, Everyone’s getting their grift on in the Trump White House!
The host also addressed the president’s attempt to impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Trump touted the plan on Truth Social, he walked it back shortly after, a move Meyers characterized as an embarrassing U-turn.
Concluding the segment, Meyers argued that the second Trump presidency has been defined by a stream of scandals and distractions. He stated that while Americans are looking for life to become more affordable, the administration remains focused on matters like catapults, teleprompters and testosterone.
Worth a look