Late-night hosts took turns finding the funny in Steve Bannon losing his national security council role, but also delivered heartfelt appreciations of the late Don Rickles.
Stephen Colbert delivered the most stinging jokes about Bannon’s fall from favor, “It was not easy to remove Bannon, they held a hot match against his back until he released pincers,” he joked. “They think the head might still be in there.”
After reading a White House statement that claimed the move wasn’t a demotion and that Bannon accomplished the goals he set out, Colbert questioned the veracity of the release. He said: “I’m not sure if he accomplished all his goals, there are still some Muslims in America.”
“Word on the street is that Jared Kushner helped push Steve Bannon out. How many jobs does that kid have?” asked Colbert.
“I’m not surprised,” he added, “Because whenever Kushner isn’t around Bannon calls him a ‘cuck’. Bannon tried to stop the demotion, threatening at one point to quit if it went forward.”
Colbert then pointed out that because he’d threatened to quit but then didn’t despite being removed, Bannon had committed a “TCM” AKA Total Cuck Move, referencing the phrase that’s popular among the “alt-right”.
Colbert also paid tribute to Don Rickles who died on Thursday aged 90. Colbert said he only met him once when they were both up for an Emmy award in the same category. Rickles won on the night, and when Colbert went to congratulate him “he hugged me and told me I was good, and I felt like a made man, because we should all have his career and be who he was. God bless you, Don Rickles, and thank you.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s tribute was the most emotional, as Rickles was a close friend of his and someone who had appeared on his show multiple times.
“We lost someone who I love very much today,” he said while holding back tears. “He was youthful and funny and sharp and generous, and I was fortunate enough to not only have Don on this show as my guest but to also become close to him.
“I grew up in Las Vegas, so even as a kid Don Rickles was a very big deal. His name was on the marquee at the Sahara Hotel.”
He told an anecdote about a dinner where Rickles, Bob Newhart and Frank Sinatra were having a meal, during which Sinatra had become drunk and surly. After a waiter put a bottle of ketchup in front of the singer, he proceeded to throw it at one of the restaurant’s white walls.
“Without missing a beat, Don said: ‘Frank, will you pass the ketchup?’ Frank laughs and no one dies that night, thanks to Don.”
Seth Meyers told a story about how he met Rickles at a party and told him he was working on Saturday Night Live to which Rickles said: “I’m so sorry to hear it’s been cancelled.” When Meyers told him it hadn’t be cancelled, Rickles replied: “A guy can dream.”
“I remember thinking there’s nothing better than getting burned by Don Rickles,” he said.
