Late-night hosts have weighed in on President Donald Trump’s suggestions that he might seek an illegal third term, with Jon Stewart noting that Trump’s denial that he had considered the idea was a reliable tell. Stewart pointed to the existence of ‘Trump 2028’ hats displayed in the Oval Office as evidence that the president had indeed thought about it.
Speaking on The Daily Show, Stewart observed that Trump had worked through various scenarios for a third term despite claiming otherwise. The president had described the prospect as ‘too cute’, a remark Stewart dismissed as inappropriate for an adult contemplating a constitutional breach. ‘He’s the kind of guy who says, “If I’m going to run again, I’m going to rip off the constitution’s head and s*** down its neck,”’ Stewart quipped.
The late-night host also connected Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House to his long-term ambitions, arguing that the president would not undertake such a renovation for a successor. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the move, citing potential asbestos or mold, but Stewart and other hosts mocked the explanation.
Jimmy Kimmel, returning from Ireland, reported that people abroad were worried about the US, particularly about the White House demolition. ‘They’re worried about us in the same way you worry about a nephew who shows up at Thanksgiving missing all his front teeth,’ he said. Kimmel joked that Trump should have been made to put down a security deposit.
Seth Meyers also addressed the Trump 2028 hats, calling them ‘weird’ given the prohibition on a third term. He compared wearing one to a hat proclaiming the New York Jets Super Bowl champions. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the hats as ‘the strangest thing ever’, but Meyers noted that Trump’s behaviour, including wandering onto the White House roof, was even more bizarre.
