Seth Meyers: ‘Department of Justice Is Basically Just an Arm of the Trump Campaign’ (Video)
“The Trump campaign store is going to start selling pardons, commutations and sentence reductions,” Meyers joked on Monday’s “A Closer Look”
Phil Owen | May 11, 2020 @ 10:15 PM
Last Updated: May 11, 2020 @ 10:30 PM
There’s not that many things to talk about these days beyond the coronavirus-infected elephant in the room. It’s just one thing after another, and late night hosts like Seth Meyers keep going back to that well because, you know, it just never dries up.
In fact, maybe there’s too much to cover even within the scope of that one topic of how the Trump administration has responded and is responding to the pandemic. On a new episode of “Late Night” on Monday, Meyers spent a 15-minute edition of “A Closer Look” recapping much of the last few days of Trump news, and concluded with a couple minutes of discussion about the Justice Department dropping its charges against former Trump adviser Michael Flynn.
“We’re currently in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has been made worse for the sociopathic incompetence of an impeached president who is fundamentally incapable of grasping the responsibilities that his office. And now he’s trying to distract from that by trying to undo the Russian investigation,” Meyers said.
“Last week his attorney general and Mafia-themed bobblehead William Barr announced that in an unprecedented move the Justice Department would withdraw charges against Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser who twice pled guilty in court to lying about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the US.”
The show transitioned to a clip of MSNBC’s Chris Hayes recapping some key details of the story, and then Meyers threw his biggest punches of the segment.
“The Department of Justice is basically just an arm of the Trump campaign now,” Meyers said. “The Trump campaign store is going to start selling pardons, commutations and sentence reductions alongside these very real items. MAGA Pet Leash, MAGA Dog Collar, USA Camo Dog Bandana.
“By the way, if you see a dog in a MAGA pet leash called it ASPCA. Sarah McLachlin will come get the dog and it’ll be taken away in the [begins a very poor impression of McLachlan’s singing] arms of an angel.”
Meyers summed up the entire situation with this:
“Trump always wanted a loyal attorney general, and now he’s got one in Bill Barr. The president is rage tweeting about exacting revenge against political enemies as a pandemic craters the economy and torches his own White House. And on top of everything else, he’s incapable of summoning even the bare minimum level of empathy for the people affected by the crisis.”
You can watch all of Monday’s “A Closer Look” from Monday’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” in the video embedded up at the top of this article.
'SNL' 5-Timers Club: Most Frequent Hosts, From Alec Baldwin to Will Ferrell (Photos)
In the world of sketch comedy, there is no fraternity more prestigious than the "Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club." Those who have proven their worthiness by hosting "SNL" five times are invited into an elite circle, where they don luxurious satin robes, smoke expensive cigars and, for their entertainment, watch current cast members fight to the death.
Not counting his many guest appearances to play guys like Donald Trump, Baldwin has hosted 16 times, passing Steve Martin's record in 2011. Martin was there that night to demand a surprise drug test.
The esteemed president of the Five-Timers Club was also the fastest to get to that milestone, hosting his fifth less than two years after hosting his first. In total, Martin has hosted fifteen times, most recently in 2009.
Hanks' fifth go-around as host in 1990 was what spawned the Five-Timers Club sketch. But now his most famous contribution to the series is definitely David S. Pumpkins. In April 2020, he also hosted remotely during the first "at home" edition during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown.
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Buck Henry - 10
From 1976 to 1980, it was tradition for the "Heaven Can Wait" director to host the "SNL" season finale. In total, Henry hosted 10 episodes, including a Mardi Gras special.
The original anchor of "Weekend Update" hosted "SNL" eight times after being the first original cast member to leave in the middle of the show's second season.
Though we haven't seen her in a Five-Timers' robe, her portrait is in the club's luxurious quarters. She holds the record for youngest host ever, having appeared on the show at age 7 following the release of "E.T." in 1982.
Gould hosted the show five times in the '70s, but his sixth appearance was his last after being blindsided by the sudden departure of Lorne Michaels from the show in 1980.
Arguably the most famous "SNL" cast member among millennials, Tina Fey joined the Club in 2015 after a hosting career that included (and still includes) her famous Sarah Palin impression.
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Scarlett Johansson - 6
The actress made her fifth appearance in 2016, and kicked off her monologue by putting on a Five-Timers jacket handed to her by Kenan Thompson. (She hosted again with then-fiancé Colin Jost in December 2019.)
The pop star's fifth appearance in 2013 saw "SNL" bring back the "Five-Timers" sketch, as Timberlake's induction was celebrated with a brawl between cast members Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam.
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Melissa McCarthy - 5
After a season of guest appearances as Donald Trump's White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, McCarthy grabbed her Five-Timers jacket in Season 42.
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The Rock - 5
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted the finale of the 42nd season of "SNL"
Jonah Hill - 5
Hill's five appearances as host spanned a decade, with the first coming in 2008 and the fifth on Nov. 3, 2018.
Will Ferrell - 5
One of the most successful "SNL" alums of the '90s, Ferrell joined the club on Nov. 23, 2019. Among his most famous "SNL" bits were his George W. Bush impression and his recurring role as Alex Trebek on "Celebrity Jeopardy."
Paul Simon - 4
Technically, Simon only hosted four times, but he's been included in "Five-Timers Club" sketches since he was the musical guest on a fifth show. He also owns arguably the most emotional moment in the history of "SNL": his performance of "The Boxer" in the cold open of the first post-9/11 episode.
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TheWrap looks back at those who’ve joined the most elite club in sketch comedy
In the world of sketch comedy, there is no fraternity more prestigious than the "Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club." Those who have proven their worthiness by hosting "SNL" five times are invited into an elite circle, where they don luxurious satin robes, smoke expensive cigars and, for their entertainment, watch current cast members fight to the death.