Late Night USA "And you're going to grill Selensky like a fop at a garden party?"
The historic press conference with Volodymyr Selenskyj at the White House is on Seth Meyers' mind: the late-night host warns that Donald Trump is building an "international alliance" of oligarchs.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- "Late Night with Seth Meyers" retraces the meeting between Volodymyr Selenskyj, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance on February 28.
- Trump leads an "international alliance of oligarchs" and takes Russia as his role model.
- The question of compliance with the dress code is asked of Selenskyj, but not Musk, criticizes Meyers.
- "None of this makes any sense": Meyers sheds more light on Trump's statements.
- Trump only cares about "self-enrichment, raw power and territorial conquest".
"Late Night with Seth Meyers" has not been on air for two weeks. "A lot has happened," says the show's namesake. "And not everything is good." There's the Justice Department investigating a Democrat because Robert Garcia called Elon Musk a "dick".
Or the recently fired government employees who control nuclear weapons or bird flu - and who had to be quickly rehired. Or Donald Trump's strange new obsession with Fort Knox, because the gold there might have been stolen."
"Wouldn't that be terrible? We open Fort Knox and there's nothing there. Just hard granite that's a meter and a half thick," Trump says in the clip from minute 1:38. "It takes six muscle men to open the main gate." And, "If the gold isn't there, we're going to be very pissed."
"Spoiler alert: Nobody stole the gold," Meyers clarifies, referring to "one of the most secure military facilities in the world". And while there is a lot going on in Washington, one story is going under, says the presenter: the White House has disbanded two working groups concerned with the influence of foreign powers and compliance with Russia sanctions.
"Why aren't you wearing a suit?"
"This is what it's all about for Trump and his clique of billionaire supporters: protecting other rich criminals," Meyers comments. "It's an international alliance of oligarchs. That's why they're on Russia's side - because they like Russia's brand of corrupt autocracy and want to emulate it. They want to concentrate political power in order to enrich themselves."
This can be seen in the poker game for Ukrainian natural resources - and that brings us to the meeting between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on February 28, which is likely to go down in the history books. It got off to a bad start because, according to Meyers, "one of Trump's lickspittles in the right-wing media" questioned the guest's wardrobe.
"Why aren't you wearing a suit?" Selenskyj is asked. And: "Do you own a suit?" "It's a besch****** question from the start, but the A****-S******* only comes out with 'Do you own a suit?' This guy is the leader of a country that's been invaded by Russia, and you're grilling him like a fop at a garden party?"
"Casual Friday on the Death Star"
Meyers adopts a snobbish tone and holds an imaginary cocktail glass in his hand like a dandy: "Is your stylist really blind or just farsighted?" he asks and laughs artificially. Another clip from the White House follows: "Many Americans have a problem with them because they don't respect the dignity of this house," journalist Brian Glenn Selenskyj calls out.
"No, they sure as hell don't," corrects Meyers. "People are worried about the cost of food and the healthcare system. And not about whether the president of Ukraine has ever been to the menswear store. I don't see you asking Elon Musk if he owns a suit, even though he looks like a Lithuanian record producer at cabinet meetings."
Meyers now has the studio audience on his side at the latest. "Musk dresses like Casual Friday is on the Death Star," the 51-year-old adds, before turning his attention back to Trump. He was suddenly "very defensive" - "because of someone very close to him, his most valued friend and ally, his most trusted confidant - Vladimir Putin".
"None of this makes any sense"
"I've known him a long time," Trump says of the Russian in the clip from minute 9:59. "He had to go through the Russia hoax. You know: Russia, Russia, Russia was a hoax. It was all Biden. It had nothing to do with him. That's why he had to suffer through it."
And: "Putin has been through a lot of hell with me. He took part in a hypocritical witch hunt in which they used him and Russia. He had nothing to do with it. It came out of Hunter Biden's bathroom. It came out of Hunter Biden's bedroom. It was disgusting. And then they said, Oh, the laptop from hell was made by Russia. The 51 agents. The whole thing was a fraud, and he had to deal with it.
"None of it makes any sense," Meyers moans. And although this seems absurd, the point is only now being reached where the conversation degenerates - with the appearance of JD Vance. The Vice President lectures Selenskyj that Trump has a "diplomacy" that could end the war and calls the Ukrainian "disrespectful" because he makes counter-arguments "in front of the American media".
Trump defends Putin
In response to Selenskyj's question as to whether he had ever been to Ukraine, Vance replied that he had "actually watched and seen these stories". Trump adds: "You don't have the cards now." "I don't play cards," Selenskyj replies weakly. Vance ends, "Did they thank you once during that meeting?"
Late Night USA - Understanding America
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"My God, JD Vance sounds like the boyfriend who's been caught cheating for the third time," blasphemes Meyers: "You keep asking where I was tonight, but have you ever thanked me for the necklace I gave you?" Meyers imitates the girlfriend: "That was two years ago and I thanked you when you gave it to me." "But did you say thank you during this fight?"
The clip shows what really happened from minute 13:17 - Trump speaks to the press after the meeting. "He doesn't have to stand there and say this and that about Putin - all negative things." That's a big deal, says Meyers: "Selensky has every reason to say bad things about Putin. And for the record, Zelenskyi has often thanked the American people - directly and in English, which he speaks more fluently than Trump."
"Spineless and immoral"
Diplomacy is a good thing and so is achieving a ceasefire, Meyers clarifies. At the same time, however, it must be clearly stated who the aggressor is, who is breaking international law and disregarding human rights. "But Trump doesn't care about any of that," says Meyers. "All he cares about is self-enrichment, raw power and territorial conquest."
The right-wing media celebrate the president anyway, as the clip from minute 14:57 shows: various commentators nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize - including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio. "Come on, Marco," says Meyers, "don't pretend you weren't trying to sink into the couch during that meeting."
Meyers continued, "And if you need any more proof of how spineless and immoral the Republican Party has become, just look at the transformation of Lindsey Graham: Two weeks ago, he lavishly praised Selenskyj. On Friday, he called for his resignation." The problem is that the Democrats are also showing little attitude, Meyers concludes.
