Late-night hosts discussed Kanye West’s much-criticized comments on slavery and the latest revelations from Donald Trump’s long-term doctor.
Trevor Noah
The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah took apart Kanye’s comments on TMZ about slavery being a choice for 400 years. “No Kanye, slavery is not a choice,” Noah said. “Going blond is a choice. Both are terrible but one is easier to undo.”
Noah continued: “Slavery was a choice: for white people.”
Noah then played footage of TMZ producer Van Lathan confronting Kanye in the office and critiquing his stance. Noah joked: “You know, there was one scared white person in that office who was like, ‘Hello police, there are two black people arguing in the office right now’.”
Noah said he was also concerned about how his words would be used by the far right. “Normally, I wouldn’t care what Kanye West says about slavery or black history,” he said. “What does suck is now every member of the Tiki Torch Club is going to use Kanye’s words to justify their hate.”
He went on to say: “Basically, the way Kanye samples old-school soul music is how racists are going to sample him now.”
Stephen Colbert
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert spoke about Trump’s doctor Harold Bornstein’s claim that the president dictated the letter about his health. “You know who won’t let Trump write the report for him?” he said. “Robert Mueller.”
Colbert moved on to Mueller and how Trump’s attempts to avoid interrogation might lead to him testifying in front of a grand jury. “If you want Trump to show up, you can’t threaten to slap him with a subpoena,” he said. “You have to spank him with it.”
The list of Mueller questions released isn’t a reflection of what Trump will be asked, just a vague idea, or as Colbert terms it: “Just Mueller fan fiction.”
“Right now, Richard Nixon is rolling over in his grave saying, ‘I told you I wasn’t a crook’,” he said.
Samantha Bee
On Full Frontal, Samantha Bee went back to the White House correspondents’ dinner at the weekend and stated: “Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a fucking liar.”
She addressed the criticism of Michelle Wolf, who Bee believes was in the right. “Calling Sanders a liar isn’t an insult – it’s her job description,” she said.
Sanders “throws other women to the wolves on Trump’s behalf” and while “all press secretaries, lie Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ lies are more like a Jedi mind-trick”.
Bee compared her to “a public relations dementor, sucking the energy out of the White House press until they can’t fight back”.
While other members of Trump’s inner circle might seem more obviously villainous, Bee said Sanders was “dangerous because she’s such a good soldier in the Trump army”.
She continued: “You are one hell of a role model for little girls everywhere who are smart and hard-working and completely evil.”
Seth Meyers
On Late Night with Seth Meyers, the host referred to the “constant swirl of chaos” surrounding Trump in the past week.
He brought up the raid on his doctor’s office and the fact that he was asked to remove a picture of himself with Trump from his waiting room.
“In fairness, that might have just been a business tip,” Meyers said. “No one wants to go to their doctor’s office and see a picture of their doctor with Donald Trump. That’s like going to your lawyer’s office and seeing a picture of your lawyer with Donald Trump.”
Meyers went on to ridicule the appearance of Bornstein: “If you’re supposed to dress for the job you want then I think he wants to be a Grateful Dead roadie or a manager at Guitar Center.”
He went on: “He looks like Donald Trump if Donald Trump was in the witness protection program.”