Late-night hosts Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert devoted segments to Donald Trump's trip to China, focusing on his fawning praise for President Xi Jinping and the mixed reception he received both in person and online.
Seth Meyers on Trump's China Visit
On Late Night, Seth Meyers noted that Trump's family made about $4 billion in his first year of his second term, an "insane" figure derived from government contracts, shady crypto deals, and memecoins. Meyers also mentioned that a 91-storey Trump tower on Australia's Gold Coast was scrapped due to the brand being "increasingly toxic" there, quipping that "everything there is toxic."
Meyers called it a "perfect time for the president to fly to China," playing footage of a welcome featuring dancing children. Trump remarked on their beauty, prompting Meyers to joke: "The last time I saw so many young and beautiful children greet a plane, it was on an island." He also commented on Trump's son Eric joining the trip, saying: "Just imagine the rightwing freakout if Hunter Biden had gone with Joe on a trip to China." Meyers added that Hunter "knows how to party."
Trump arrived with an entourage of American CEOs, including Elon Musk, who Meyers said needed to "project dignity and poise" but failed instantly, shown acting strangely at a party. "The fuck are you doing, dude?" Meyers asked, comparing him to "an eight-year-old who's ruining the family Christmas card."
Meyers highlighted Trump's shift from criticizing China to praising Xi, calling it an "honor" to be his friend. "What happened to standing up to China?" he asked. Trump's arrival was mocked across Chinese social media, with state censors allowing viral comments. "Internet memes and posts are hardly behind Trump's back. They're mocking him where he's most likely to see it," Meyers said. He concluded that while Americans struggle, Trump cares only about "flattery, fanfare and self-enrichment" overseas.
Stephen Colbert on Trump in Beijing
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert joked about Trump and Xi's "inspiring display of hyper-masculine hand dominance" during an extended awkward handshake, warning Xi might "catch a case of five-day-old banana hand." He also played footage of the welcoming children, saying: "Those kids are so happy ... that they got the day off from the iPhone factory," adding that the joke was based on a true story he read on his iPhone.
Colbert noted Trump's claim that he only says the truth about respecting Xi, calling it his "one billionth lie." He also mentioned a CBS journalist who failed to get a visa and covered from Taiwan, fitting CBS's slogan: "When events happen, we're at most one country away."
Colbert then turned to Kyle Diamantas, the new acting head of the FDA, expressing concern: "He's not a doctor, he's obscure and he's named Kyle." Colbert said he doesn't trust a Kyle to run the FDA, only to "run me a standup paddleboard." The appointment came after previous head Marty Makary wouldn't approve fruit-flavored vapes for Trump.
