When CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s Late Show last month, Donald Trump boasted about the move and claimed it as a personal victory.
Trump also made it clear that he’s hoping for a similar fate for every other late night host on network television.
So the president was obviously chagrined by the recent “sick rumor” (his words) that NBC has decided to extend the contract of one of his biggest late night critics, Seth Meyers.
In May of 2024, Meyers’ contract was renewed through 2028, and NBC has not confirmed that his Late Night deal will continue beyond that.
But apparently, preliminary reports of an additional extension were enough to send Trump into a tirade early Wednesday morning.
“Fake News NBC extended the contract of one of the least talented Late Night television hosts out there, Seth Meyers,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform around 2 am.
“He has no Ratings, Talent, or Intelligence, and the Personality of an insecure child. So, why would Fake News NBC extend this dope’s contract. I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be finding out!!!”
Needless to say, Trump is not a fan of the SNL alum’s comedic stylings.
But it’s unclear why he went into a Meyers-inspired tailspin at 2 in the morning on a weeknight.
Again, it’s unlikely that Meyers and his NBC bosses reentered contract talks when he still has over two years left on his current deal.
But it seems almost equally unlikely that Trump — given how closely he fixates on the fate of his late night foes — would just now be learning about the extension.
Trump has been seething over late night disses for years
Everyone from Lorne Michaels to Jimmy Fallon has incurred Trump’s wrath over the years, so it came as no surprise when the president celebrated Colbert’s firing.
For his part, Colbert fired back at the president in one of his monologues, at one point addressing Trump directly with a curt “f–k you.”
Needless to say, the war between the White House and TV comedians has heated up in recent months.
It’s not the sort of development that anyone predicted, but if there’s one thing that Trump supporters and detractors can agree on, it’s that the man is nothing if not unpredictable.
Meyers has yet to respond to the president’s latest provocations, but it seems likely that he’ll do so when his show returns with new episodes next month.
Of course, given the pace of this year, it’s possible that today’s news will seem like ancient history by then.