Seth Meyers is laughing off his recent appearance on President Donald Trump’s radar, joking that it feels “kind of nice” to finally join his late-night peers.
During Tuesday’s show on Sept. 2, Meyers sat down with Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani, who opened the interview by congratulating the Late Night host.
“I want to congratulate you for finally getting on Trump’s radar,” Nanjiani said. “For weeks, he was picking on [Jimmy] Fallon and [Jimmy] Kimmel and [Stephen] Colbert, and I was like, what’s a girl gotta do? Because you talk about him, too.”
Nanjiani then read the actual text of Trump’s Truth Social post from Aug. 27, where the president blasted Meyers, 51.
“There is a sick rumor going around that Fake News NBC extended the contract of one of the least talented Late Night television hosts out there, Seth Meyers,” Trump wrote.
“He has no Ratings, Talent, or Intelligence, and the Personality of an insecure child,” Trump, 79, added. “So, why would Fake News NBC extend this dope’s contract. I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be finding out!!!”
The rant surprised many since Deadline had already reported back in May 2024 that NBC renewed Meyers’ contract through 2028.
“What I love about it is that he called Colbert untalented,” Nanjiani told Meyers. “He called Kimmel even less talented than Colbert. And then he called Fallon insecure. And for you, he combined all three.”
“Hey, it’s kind of nice,” Meyers replied. “In a way, it’s almost like he’s saying, ‘You know, he’s got something for everybody.’ “
Trump’s recent wave of attacks on late-night comedians started in July, when he celebrated the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
On July 17, Colbert shocked fans by announcing that CBS was ending the No. 1-rated late-night show after more than 30 years.
The decision sparked speculation about political influence, since Colbert had recently criticized CBS’ parent company, Paramount, for trying to win Trump’s favor by pledging millions for his future presidential library. At the same time, Paramount was finalizing a merger with Skydance, a deal that needed approval from the Trump administration.
In a statement to PEOPLE, CBS explained the cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” The network emphasized it was not connected to the show’s ratings, content, or Paramount’s other business matters.
Meyers’ history with Trump goes back years. At the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Meyers — then head writer at Saturday Night Live — joined President Barack Obama in roasting Trump, who was building his political profile at the time.
“Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican — which is surprising, since I just assumed that he was running as a joke,” Meyers joked during the event.
Trump has since denied that Obama and Meyers’ jokes motivated his political ambitions. Still, he has skipped the Correspondents’ Dinner every year he has been president.
