On Monday, January 13, 2025, President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of criticism towards NBC late-night host Seth Meyers and Comcast, the network’s parent company, through a series of posts on Truth Social.
It marks a new high in the ongoing feud between Trump and Meyers, which can be traced back to 2011 when Meyers initially took jabs at Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The verbal onslaught happened just before the Department of Justice issued a significant report indicating that Trump would have been convicted for trying to reverse the 2020 election results if he hadn’t secured the presidency in 2024.
The President’s flurry of posts on social media began around 1:00 AM Eastern Time. Trump stated, “These guys should be paying a lot of money for the right to give these ‘in kind’ contributions to the Radical Left Democrat Party. These are not shows or entertainment. They are political hits, 100% of the time, to me and the Republican Party. Marble Mouth Meyers is merely a slot filler for the Scum that runs Comcast.”
Throughout his late-night career, Meyers has consistently criticized Trump, often using his “A Closer Look” segments to scrutinize Trump’s policies and remarks. The comedian has been quoted saying that Trump “turned himself into an object of ridicule” and that his show consciously uses “Trump’s own momentum against him.”
Trump’s disdain for late-night television is not limited to Meyers. He has frequently targeted other hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, labeling them as “talentless” and “low-rated” because they regularly critique his actions and policies.
The relationship between Trump and NBC is fraught with tension. Although the network significantly brought Trump into mainstream prominence through “The Apprentice,” conflict has intensified since he entered politics. Many of MSNBC’s lead personalities have been openly critical of him.
In September 2024, Trump proposed that Comcast should be probed for “treason,” writing, “They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason.'”
Meyers recently targeted Trump’s courtroom appearances and comments regarding the wildfires in California. “It’s always so weird to hear reporters read Trump’s remarks,” Meyers quipped on his show. “It’s like listening to a tourist read a menu in a language they don’t speak.” The host specifically focused on Trump’s misleading assertions about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s management of the wildfire response.
The White House had earlier criticized Trump’s threats toward the media, referring to them as “an outrageous attack on our democracy and the rule of law.” Despite facing several criminal and civil charges before his election victory, Trump managed to dominate the Republican nomination race and secure the presidency.
Progressive organizations have labeled his recent comments as “full fascist,” while media observers express concern that such rhetoric could potentially infringe on First Amendment rights.