Late-night hosts on Wednesday discussed Trump’s attempts to coin his FBI conspiracy “Spygate,” the gubernatorial primaries in Georgia, and the Trump administration’s move to reverse a hunting ban.
Stephen Colbert: ‘Bon appétit, Sean Hannity’
“Right now, as we tape this show, President Trump is in New York City having dinner with supporters,” Stephen Colbert began. “Well, it’s New York, so, supporter. Bon appétit, Sean Hannity.”
“Trump is calling the one informant the FBI used to find out if the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russian government ‘a nest of spies’,” the host continued. “And the reviews are in on his new thriller: New York magazine raves: ‘Trump’s FBI Spy Theory is Completely Insane’. CNN says: ‘Donald Trump Turned a Rumor into a Full-Blown Government Conspiracy in just Five Days’. And the New Jersey Star-Ledger adds: ‘Trump stands in middle of 5th Ave, shoots American justice’.”
“Today,” Colbert noted, “Trump gave his conspiracy a nickname,” showing footage of the president telling reporters: “We now call it Spygate, you’re calling it Spygate.”
“No, we’re not,” Colbert replied. “A) a criminal investigation is not “spying”. It should be Investigategate. And b) Spygate has already been used, twice: once to describe the public identification of Valerie Plame as a CIA officer, and for the New England Patriots’ videotaping of New York Jets’ coaches signals.”
Referring to Trump’s recent tweet in which he trumpeted his theory and said “what goes around, comes around”, Colbert added: “Donald Trump, you for one should not be talking about what goes around, comes around,” he said. “You are living proof that karma does not exist.”
Samantha Bee: ‘Are they that dumb? Remains to be seen’
On Full Frontal, Samantha Bee covered the primary results of Georgia’s gubernatorial election, which on the democratic side saw Stacey Abrams run against Stacey Evans.
Abrams triumphed in the primary, Bee said, making her “the first female African American nominee for governor by a major party in American history”.
“Georgia now has an opportunity to elect an experienced, progressive governor and, thank the Lord, because here’s who’s running in the Republican primary,” Bee said, before showing campaign advertisements from the GOP hopefuls.
In one, Brian Kemp brandishes his gun and says: “I got a big truck just in case I need to round up criminal illegals and take them home myself.”
“Take them home?” the host replied. “Doe he know he made an ad for kidnapping?”
In another television spot, Republican Michael Williams drives a “deportation bus”.
“Both Kemp and Williams focused their campaigns on outlawing sanctuary cities which, funnily enough, are already outlawed in Georgia,” Bee added. “Vote for me, I’m going to do the thing that’s already done. Oh look, I done did it!”
“That’s how dumb the Republican party thinks Georgia Republicans are. Are they that dumb? Remains to be seen.”
Jimmy Kimmel: ‘It’s time to shoot baby bears’
Finally, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel tore into Trump for his administration’s reversal of Obama-era policies protecting wildlife for predatory hunting practices.
On Monday, the National Park Service announced its intent to update the former Obama-era regulations on sport hunting in national preserves in order to align the federal policy with that of Alaska state law.
“And I say it’s about time,” Kimmel said sarcastically. “I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of not being able to shoot bear cubs in their dens. What are you supposed to do? Wait for them to waddle out adorably and start rolling around? That’s not American.”
Kimmel went on: “Trump also eased a ban on importing elephant trophies from Africa after saying he wouldn’t, which is disgusting, but not only isn’t the president backing down, he’s going all in on this.”
Kimmel proceeded to air a mock TV ad Trump’s new policy. “It’s time to make America great again,” the voiceover said. “It’s time to shoot baby bears.”