Late night hosts discussed the recent set of governmental revelations, with John Oliver using a guest appearance to jokingly blame Donald Trump’s success on Oprah.
On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah talked about the president’s meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. He talked about the fact that Trump was reportedly without his translation earpiece for much of the day and how his advisers claimed not to know whether he could understand.
“How do Trump’s advisers not know what languages he speaks?” he said. “This is like them going around like, ‘Well, he said he doesn’t speak Japanese but he also said he’d release his tax returns, so who the hell knows?’”
Tonight at 11/10c, Trump welcomes Japanese PM Abe to the Winter White House and things get awkward. pic.twitter.com/BfsPkQoTTs
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 14, 2017
He went on: “Knowing Trump, he was probably all cocky afterwards. They were like ‘Did you understand?’ and he said: ‘I understood every word: everybody was kung-fu fighting, all their kicks were fast as lightning, next question.’”
He also developed a theory on what Trump might have thought throughout the meeting. “Trump was nodding and smiling in agreement like, ‘Yes, I’m with you,’ and in my head, I think maybe that’s how policy sounds to him, like he didn’t realize Shinzo was speaking Japanese,” he said. “He just thought he was using those words that real politicians use. Like maybe when the CIA briefs Trump, it sounds like Japanese to him.”
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert also talked about the meeting between Abe and Trump. He referenced a report that claimed during their dinner at Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago resort, news that North Korea initiated a nuclear missile test was dealt with in front of other diners.
“Trump’s team handled an international crisis like teens at an after-prom party looking at Derek’s Instagram,” he said.
He then discussed Stephen Miller, the “White House senior policy adviser and young Gargamel” who was paraded around Sunday morning TV to a largely negative response.
At one point, Miller claimed, chillingly, that Trump’s opponents would soon see how much power he has and that this “will not be questioned”.
“Will not be questioned?” he said. “Let me test that theory: what the fuck are you talking about?”
He spoke about Trump’s “super-crazy charges of voter fraud” and Miller’s refusal to discuss evidence on air. “How about some of the evidence? Maybe any of the evidence?”
Miller also said he would appear on any TV show needed whenever he was called upon. “Any show, any time, anywhere? Perfect. How about The Late Show tomorrow at the Ed Sullivan theater?” Colbert said. “If you don’t show up, I’m going to call you a liar, and if you do show up, I’m going to call you a liar to your face.”
On Late Night with Seth Meyers, John Oliver was a guest and spoke about Trump’s position as arguably the most powerful man in the world.
“He’s always acted like the most powerful man in the world,” he said. “That’s how he carries himself. Through his childhood as well, I’m sure he dons the disposition of the most powerful man in the world. Now he actually has the power to go along with that. It’s like The Secret was real and it worked for one person, and unfortunately it was him.”
In reference to the bestselling book, which was championed by Oprah, he joked: “What I’m saying is Trump is Oprah’s fault. If she’d just said: ‘You know what, I read this book but it seems like bullshit.’”
Meyers also discussed the awkward handshake between Abe and Trump: “A handshake so long and uncomfortable, it lasted for a full 19 seconds. What’s going on there? Was he trying to shake his hand or stop him from leaving?”
He also talked about Trump’s disastrous approval ratings and that only 29% of Americans think that he is respected by world leaders. “Fewer Americans think Trump is respected by world leaders than thought George W Bush was, and remember, George W Bush literally got stuck behind a door in China,” he said.
He also found time to critique Miller’s demeanor on morning TV: “He sounds like a guilty husband who got caught texting with a female co-worker.”
He went on: “That guy is 31 years old and he already looks like he’s two-thirds of the way to being Montgomery Burns.”
