Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and even the notably “not particularly political” Jimmy Fallon have constructed their careers around poking fun at the president of the United States.
Consequently, when Donald Trump declared a ban on news organizations CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House last Friday, the late-night hosts responded emphatically in support of the First Amendment, which safeguards freedom of speech and the press.
Were they shocked? Absolutely. Were they humorous? You can decide.
“The White House press pool resembles a bigger mess than the reflecting pool at this moment,” remarked Jimmy Kimmel, whose humor has previously landed him in hot water with the Trump administration.
“What he is doing is truly un-American,” he stated on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“The five networks, including Fox, united to issue a statement emphasizing that the public has a crucial interest in receiving accurate, independent information regarding its government…. Can you believe how far someone has to go for Fox News to come to CNN’s defense?” he continued.
Helipad event provides material for humor
Both Kimmel and NBC’s Seth Meyers highlighted how Trump’s media prohibition seemed to backfire when the White House press pool, which typically covers the president’s official events, chose not to report on his inauguration of a new helicopter landing pad.
The White House’s own video stream provided visuals of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but without a microphone, the president’s words were inaudible, only the sound of the helicopter blades filled the air.
“The best part is that sound is always the essence of what Trump is saying,” Meyers quipped.
The day before, the Trump administration issued a statement reaffirming its stance that, “White House access is a privilege — not a right,” and dismissed assertions that the media ban infringed upon reporters’ First Amendment rights.
Some of the journalists still in the White House presented that argument directly to Trump.
Behaving like a diva
Meyers showcased a clip of Trump’s reaction, stating that the president “sounds like a fading Hollywood starlet berating a director for cutting her line.”
Jimmy Fallon likened him to the host of The Traitors. “He even dressed like Alan Cumming to tell them, ‘You’re banished from my castle.'”
He humorously suggested that the First Lady might also wish to be banished to escape her husband. “In a related story, Melania just applied to be a reporter for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico,” Fallon joked.
On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart concentrated on Trump’s justification for the media ban: his dissatisfaction with the negative coverage from those outlets.
Disbelief and outrage
“Have you considered president-ing better?” Stewart asked. “I mean, give the press something worthwhile to report. Oh, here’s a positive note: I never thought my car could take $140 worth of gas in such a tiny tank!”
Stewart oscillated between disbelief and outrage as he replayed Trump’s footage justifying the media ban.
“Not for nothing, has there ever been a president who outright opposes the Constitution in the Oval Office?”