On the fifth anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riots, late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers took aim at Donald Trump's efforts to rewrite the events as 'peaceful protests'. Kimmel opened his monologue by stating that 'five years ago today, after losing what eventually judges from both sides in cities all around the country unanimously declared to be a free and fair election, Donald Trump tried to overthrow our government in a pathetic and illegal attempt to stay in the White House'. He called it a 'selfish, disgraceful, tyrannical and dangerous act' and urged viewers not to 'give in to this revisionist history'.
Kimmel noted that the White House had launched a page claiming 'Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election', and praised Trump for pardoning 'patriotic trespassers' and 'peaceful protesters'. He also highlighted that a plaque commissioned for law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol was missing, after Speaker Mike Johnson refused to hang it. Colbert joked that January 6 is 'a dark day in our nation's history, and a permanent stain on the legacy of Donald Trump, because it is Eric Trump's birthday'. He criticised Trump's description of the day as a 'day of love', showing a photo of Trump's card for Jeffrey Epstein.
Colbert also discussed Venezuela, noting Trump's refusal to hand power to opposition leader María Corina Machado, reportedly because he remains upset she won the Nobel Peace prize. Machado said she would 'love to be able to personally tell him that this is a prize of the Venezuelan people, certainly gone to give to him, to share it with him'. Colbert responded that she lost Trump 'the moment you used the word share'. Meyers mocked a Trump Truth Social post about market highs and tariffs, joking that Trump might think 'tariffs' are people. He also referenced a poll showing 44% of Republicans believe the January 6 rioters were 'patriots'.
