Late-night television hosts Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers have delivered blistering monologues this week, focusing on newly revealed emails concerning Donald Trump's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alongside the former president's controversial renovations to the White House.
Damning Epstein Emails Take Centre Stage
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert addressed the release of new communications that suggest Donald Trump was aware of Jeffrey Epstein's criminal conduct. The host expressed mock surprise at the revelations, dryly stating, "What a shocking, shocking revelation."
Colbert emphasised the inevitability of Trump's knowledge, pointing out that the two men were "best pals and underage girls was Epstein's whole thing." He compared the moment of realisation to a plot twist in the film The Sixth Sense, where the audience finally pieces together the mystery.
The comedian highlighted one particularly incriminating email circulated during Trump's 2015 presidential run, in which Epstein offered suggestions on how to answer questions about their friendship. Colbert quipped that it's "never a good sign when Jeffrey Epstein is trying to help you draft a response," likening him to a "perverted Clippy," the old Microsoft Office assistant.
White House Transformations and Political Manoeuvres
Colbert also covered the end of the recent government shutdown and the swearing-in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva. He joked that on her first day, she was reportedly shown "the room where you're going to topple the pervert cabal," as her signature became the 218th and final one needed to force a vote to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files.
Turning to the physical changes at the White House, Colbert expressed disbelief at the ongoing insanity of the Trump presidency. This was punctuated by the reveal of a commemorative one-dollar coin depicting Trump to mark the 250th birthday of the United States. Colbert sardonically suggested they should have picked "someone who was there when it was founded like Joe Biden."
He further critiqued Trump's extensive renovations to the executive residence, describing the former president as conducting "extreme home makeovers all over the White House" and building a "big stupid ballroom."
Seth Meyers' Take on Presidential Priorities
On Late Night, Seth Meyers echoed the criticism of the White House's new aesthetic, describing it as the "kind of decor you see in a restaurant where they have a fishtank in the waiting area." He remarked that Trump was "turning the White House into a pharaoh's tomb."
Meyers focused on an awkward interview Trump gave to Fox News pundit Laura Ingraham, where the former president stumbled over the specifics of the renovation work. Meyers stated that Trump was "talking out of his ass" and noted that this was what the president was focused on "while his government was shut down." He joked that Trump was "wandering around the White House like a property only child," a clever nod to the Property Brothers television show.
Regarding the Epstein emails, Meyers challenged the media's framing that they "raise new questions" about the Trump-Epstein friendship. He countered, "To me it sounds like they answer old questions," implying the correspondence confirms long-held suspicions about their close association.
Both hosts concluded their segments by underscoring the lasting and bizarre legacy of the Trump administration, with Colbert musing, "I don't know if we'll ever forget the insanity of the Trump presidency."
