Seth Meyers may not always be a fan of media outlets’ coverage of Donald Trump, but the NBC host was pretty delighted by the New York Times’ summary of the president’s arrival at the Kennedy Center this week. In fact, he thinks it deserves a Pulitzer for just how passive aggressive it was.
On Wednesday, Trump and his wife attended the opening night of “Les Misérables,” a story entirely centered on a peasant harshly punished for a minor crime, as well as a revolution in France against the king. Upon their arrival, they were both cheered and booed, and Trump couldn’t give an answer on the red carpet as to whether he identified more with the protagonist or antagonist of the show.
During his “A Closer Look” segment on Thursday, Meyers latched onto the New York Times’ description of the president’s arrival, which read: “It was probably not the reception the president was hoping for with his debut at the cultural center, he took over and now chairs — half full, half booing and with a strong contingent of drag queens.”
“Now, I’ve certainly had my disagreements with the media over the years, but that right there deserves a Pulitzer Prize,” Meyers said. “I just love how passive aggressive it is. That’s how Lorne Michaels would react when a sketch dies at dress. ‘Mm, probably not the reception you were hoping for.’”
The late night host then wondered exactly how many drag queens would need to be present for Trump to consider them a contingent, guessing probably just two at most.
Meyers was also pretty amused by Trump getting booed at all, considering the president installed himself as chairman in a recent takeover.
“He’s showing up to a thing he’s in charge of and still getting booed. That would be like Darth Vader getting booed on the Death Star,” Meyers joked.
Then again, he did concede that perhaps the booing was actually coming from MAGA fans, and they were really booing the character who stole a loaf of bread for a child.
“You’re a felon!” Meyers bellowed, acting out that hypothetical. “Give back that loaf of bread you piece of s–t! Unless you’re stealing it for Trump, in which case you’re a hero! Pardon the bread thieves!”
You can watch Seth Meyers’ full “A Closer Look” segment in the video above.
