Former President Donald Trump was quick to steal the show with a surprise primetime address. He described it as a “reality check” and direct message to the American people. The surprise speech is set for 9 PM ET. It will go head-to-head with high-profile season finales of Abbot Elementary, Survivor and Seth Meyers’ “The Floor.” Trump’s announcement stirred a mix of intrigue and skepticism, particularly among late-night television hosts who took the opportunity to express their thoughts on the former president’s re-emergence in the spotlight.
Indeed, in his inaugural address, Trump announced, “the best is yet to come.” This slogan has quickly become the hallmark of his political speech. The timing behind the announcement was questionable, to say the least, particularly considering the backdrop of its announcement against such popular television programming. Many speculated that the former president aimed to reclaim the narrative amidst ongoing controversies surrounding his political future.
Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, ruffled some feathers and raised eyebrows by announcing the effort with a widely circulated Vanity Fair Q&A. In it, she made some incredibly shocking comments about Trump and his lackeys. Wiles went on to call Trump an “alcoholic’s personality.” He also referred to JD Vance, the famed Republican, as the “conspiracy theorist for a decade.” Her comments have attracted most of the buzz. They’re notable not just for what she said, but because they lined up so perfectly with Trump’s address.
Wiles made a point to address Trump’s highly-publicized, odd friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He went on to defend Trump, arguing that the former president didn’t know about Epstein’s criminality at the time. This defense in turn has fueled a new round of discussion about Trump’s judgment and associations.
Late-night hosts had a field day with both Trump’s speech and Wiles’ interviews. Late Night host Seth Meyers called out the ridiculousness of Wiles’ statements. Taken together, he found them “weird” but not “surprising,” given the treatment Trump has received from the media over the years. We’ve called on him before to use his sizeable platform for more productive things.
Jimmy Kimmel humorously labeled Trump’s address as a “surprise primetime episode of The Worst Wing tonight on every channel,” reflecting a mix of humor and criticism. He quipped about how Trump’s presence in the television landscape could have been different had a few key states voted differently in the past election.
“It’s weird to think that had a couple of states just gone the other way, he’d be hosting one of those shows.” – Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel’s joke went on to focus criticism at Trump, as well as the absurdity of the president’s appearance and format. The President’s proposal Unfortunately, the President put forth a fiscally irresponsible proposal that left even the proponents of infrastructure projects speechless.
“OK … kind of a mixed signal to announce an emergency national address because everything’s going great,” – Stephen Colbert
Intellectually, Colbert attempted to avoid too much discussion about Trump’s speech but inevitably found himself unable to refrain from joking about his broadcasts.
“It takes a special kind of lunatic to get his insults cast in bronze.” – Jimmy Kimmel
The late-night hosts weren’t done there, though— targeting the photoshoot that went along with the West Wing portrayal as well, which appeared in Vanity Fair. Meyers and Kimmel highlighted the absurdity of Trump’s public image, suggesting that it contrasts sharply with the issues facing the nation.
Wiles’ blunt statements regarding the impact Elon Musk has had on the discourse made this panel a must-watch. She also called Musk an “avowed ketamine user,” which, admittedly, did serve to fan the flames of conversation about Trump’s relationships with powerful, non-political elites.