“With the Russia investigation weighing on Trump and his administration bogged down by allegations that he committed obstruction of justice, the president has been eager to brag about his accomplishments,” Seth Meyers said Monday night. “Even non-existent ones.”
That backdrop helped set the scene for Trump’s first full cabinet meeting at the White House earlier in the day, during which he made the “outlandish” claim that there’s never been a president—“with few exceptions”—who has done more than he has in his first few months in office. “Even Bill Clinton took six years to be impeached, I might do it in six months, you guys,” Meyers imagined Trump adding.
As the Late Night host noted, Trump has “touched more glowing orbs” than he has signed legislation since taking office. “And if you thought maybe someone in his cabinet would point that out, you were out of luck,” the comedian said. “Because instead, they went around the table taking turns thanking and praising him.”
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And nobody’s comments were more roundly mocked than his Chief of Staff (for now) Reince Priebus, who actually said, “On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you’ve given us to serve your agenda and the American people.”
“Is there anything creepier than watching Trump make his staff go around the room and praise him?” Meyers asked. “Even Kim Jong Un is like, dude, have some self-respect.”
The host also weighed in on the president’s response to Comey’s testimony, including both his denial that he said the things Comey says he did and his insistence that it wouldn’t matter if he had said them. “I mean, I will tell you I didn't say that,” Trump said at a press conference Friday. “And there’d be nothing wrong if I did say it, according to everybody that I’ve read today, but I did not say that.”
“He just can’t help himself,” Meyers said. “He’s like a husband who denies cheating on his wife but also wants credit for getting laid.”
Pushing back against the accusation that he asked Comey for a loyalty pledge, Trump said, “Who would do that?”
“You would,” Meyers replied. “In fact, any time you hear the question, ‘Who would do that?’ the answer is likely Donald Trump. Who would set up a fake university to rip people off? Donald Trump. Who would brag about committing sexual assault? Donald Trump.”
