‘Trump Haters are DEAD’: Donald Trump Lashes Out on Truth Social as Late Night Digs in on Fmr POTUS J6 Woes and More
Former POTUS Donald Trump is getting tired of taking hell from late night TV comedians. And he took to Truth
Ellie Mason
Former POTUS Donald Trump is getting tired of taking hell from late night TV comedians.
And he took to Truth Social last night to unleash his fury, taking aim at all of the hosts at once. Late night hosts have been vocal in their criticism and satire of Trump since day 1, but lately the jokes seem to write themselves as the former President finds himself completely beset from every direction with legal woes, looming criminal indictments and personal turmoil.
Late Night Hosts Infuriate Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s vendetta against Late Night comedy hosts is nothing new.
They excel at mocking Presidents who are in power, and Trump gave them ample scandals and verbal faux pas to work with – so the tension is no surprise.
But ever since the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago this summer and the January 6 panel held multiple hearings, their content has been renewed and they have pursued it enthusiastically. It would seem so enthusiastically that the former POTUS finally had enough and took to Truth Social to rage.
Trump wrote, “Late Night Television is absolutely dying. The hosts are not funny, talented, or smart. Actually, it’s amazing that they keep their jobs. Ratings have gone south to a level never seen before. I could take the average person on the street, insert them in these loser’s place, and the entertainment level would be better. Stephen Colbert is drawing ‘flies,’ Jimmy Kimmel is down almost 50%, and Fallon has lost 60%. Basket case Seth Meyers has lost most of his audience, BORING. Trump haters are DEAD!”
But he wasn’t done, adding, “I once hosted Saturday Night Live, and the ratings were HUUUGE! Now, however, the ratings are lower than ever before, and the show will probably be put to ‘rest.’ It is just not, at these levels, sustainable – A bad show that’s not funny or smart. L.M. is angry and exhausted, the show even more so. It was once good, never great, but now, like the Late Night Losers who have lost their audience but have no idea why, it is over for SNL – A great thing for America!”
Is Late Night Dying?
Trump is not wrong about the struggle late night shows are having trying to drum up ratings.
A combination of people heading back to work after pandemic lockdowns and the internet has driven audiences to record low levels for most late night shows.
Now that people can wait until the next day to find highlight clips online, desire to stay up and watch requires enthusiasm that many viewers just can’t muster.
But Trump is off base when he thinks that he specifically is being targeted. All Presidents and politicians (and public figures in general) receive late night japes and jokes, and Trump is merely one of the more visible options for the hosts to poke fun at.
Nonetheless, the future of late night shows remains uncertain. Some experts suggest that the way to approach revamping late night requires a whole new understanding of who should host, how they should approach jokes – and how far they should be allowed to go. As conservative shock jocks continue to rise in popularity, late night will have to either adapt to the new type of humor and find opposing viewpoints – or slowly fizzle to nothing.