Late-night television hosts have delivered sharp critiques of Donald Trump's recent conduct, focusing particularly on his response to the Jeffrey Epstein files and the controversy surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance.
Jimmy Kimmel's Focus on Epstein Files Distraction Tactics
On his Tuesday night show, Jimmy Kimmel maintained a laser focus on the Epstein documents, describing them as "a story that Donald Trump wishes would go away. But it won't just go away". The comedian suggested this is precisely the kind of high-profile story that generates headlines, which Trump understands perfectly well.
"So what he does is he bombards us with a dozen other crazy things to try to flood the zone," Kimmel explained to his audience. "There's only so much we can take in, so to distract us, right now what he's doing is he's suing everybody."
Kimmel highlighted Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion as a prime example, noting the irony of suing "the IRS that he runs". The host quipped that Trump appears to be "planning to negotiate a settlement with himself" and observed that while such action would dominate any other presidency, for Trump it doesn't even rank among the top five stories of the month.
Trump's Contentious Exchange with CNN Reporter
Kimmel then turned to a particularly heated White House press conference exchange where CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins questioned Trump about his justice department's refusal to bring charges related to the Epstein files. When Collins asked what Trump would say to survivors feeling denied justice, the response turned personal.
Trump snapped: "You are the worst reporter. CNN has no ratings because of people like you. I don't think I've ever seen you smile. I've known you for 10 years. I don't think I've ever seen a smile on your face... You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth."
Kimmel responded with biting commentary: "We are now at the 'women-should-smile-more' stage of his presidency." He added that he couldn't imagine "a worse time to tell a woman to smile more than when that person is a reporter asking about the Epstein victims."
Stephen Colbert Addresses Super Bowl Backlash
Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert used his Late Show platform to examine the conservative backlash against Bad Bunny's upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance. The Puerto Rican superstar has faced criticism for excluding the continental United States from his recent tour over Immigration and Customs Enforcement concerns and for performing entirely in Spanish.
Colbert noted that "the rightwing media have had their panties in a bunch" about the booking for months. He referenced an anonymous NFL player who told The Athletic: "I always think it should be an American. I think they're trying too hard with this international stuff."
"I agree - and I bet Bad Bunny agrees too, because he's an American," Colbert retorted, before listing numerous non-American artists who have previously performed at halftime shows, including Canadian singer Shania Twain, Britain's Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, and the band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Alternative Halftime Show Controversy
Colbert also addressed the Turning Point USA's planned alternative halftime show starring Kid Rock, titled the All-American Halftime Show, created in protest of Bad Bunny's performance. "Now, if you want to attend this alternate half-time show, you can't," Colbert joked, pointing out the unclear venue arrangements. "Which I believe is fitting, because Kid Rock is often unclear on what venue he's in."
Seth Meyers on Trump's Political Statements
Seth Meyers used his Late Night platform to recap Trump's recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where Trump declared Modi "one of my greatest friends." Meyers imagined Modi's response: "Thank you, that's the saddest thing I've ever heard. We've talked like three times."
The host also highlighted Trump's recent claim that Republicans should "nationalize the voting" because of alleged fraud, juxtaposing this statement with a photo of Bad Bunny winning the Grammy for Album of the Year - the first Spanish-language album to receive the night's top award.
When Trump asserted over the weekend that Democratic politicians are "soft on crime," Meyers responded with his signature wit: "As opposed to Trump, who couldn't be more into it," alongside a display of Trump's mugshot.
Epstein Files Analysis
Meyers concluded with a striking statistic from a New York Times analysis of the newly released Epstein documents. The latest batch of over 3 million pages contained 5,300 references to Trump. "Of course, that doesn't prove anything. I've mentioned him way more than 5,300 times, but he's never been here," Meyers quipped, highlighting the ongoing fascination with Trump's connections to the Epstein case.
Together, these late-night hosts continue to provide pointed political commentary, using humor to dissect current events while maintaining focus on stories they believe deserve public attention.
