Late-Night Comedians Reflect on Trump's Tumultuous First Year Back in Office
American late-night television hosts have marked the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump's second presidential term with a series of scathing monologues, blending satire with serious critique of the administration's actions and global diplomacy.
Stephen Colbert's 'Penguin Awareness' Jibe Highlights Media Frenzy
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert noted that Tuesday, 20 January, represented a full year of Trump's second presidency, quipping that the date's true significance was Penguin Awareness Day rather than the political milestone. "During that time, he has monopolized our attention every second of every minute of every hour of every day," Colbert remarked, adding wryly, "Which is sad."
Adopting a more serious tone, Colbert observed that "a lot has happened in a short time", proceeding to list a rapid-fire catalogue of purported presidential actions from the past twelve months. These included renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, holding a large military parade for his birthday, expressing a desire to make Canada the 51st state, signing an executive order to end birthright citizenship, demolishing the East Wing of the White House to construct a ballroom, and adorning the remaining structure with golden ornaments.
The host further alleged that Trump had forced Paramount to produce Rush Hour 4, appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center board before renaming it the Trump Kennedy Center, and personally accrued over $1.4 billion. "And guess what? You didn't remember most of that stuff," Colbert challenged his audience, arguing that the constant stream of "some new Trump horror dominating the headlines" serves to obscure previous controversies. "Today's maniacal criminality distracts us from yesterday's maniac crimes," he stated, pointedly referencing the Epstein files.
Colbert concluded by describing the last year as "exhausting", not just for the public but for Trump himself, "That's why Trump's always falling asleep." He illustrated this with clips from a recent, rambling White House press conference, questioning whether "sundowning" could occur at two in the afternoon.
Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Diplomatic Disasters and Private Message Leaks
Jimmy Kimmel returned from the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with a monologue targeting Trump's weekend activities. He joked about white ski celebrations and contrasted Dr. King's dream with one he attributed to Trump involving Ivanka. "I have a confession to make: I spent the whole day yesterday judging Trump on the content of his character and the color of his skin," Kimmel said, adding, "Neither verdict were good."
Kimmel highlighted the diplomatic fallout from Trump's reaction to being overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize, suggesting the president might "literally declare war against Scandinavia, the happiest people on earth." He focused on a text message Trump reportedly sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, which read: "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace."
"The idea that he's typing out a bitchy little message to the prime minister of Norway, a message that explicitly says, 'Since you didn't give me the peace prize, I'm thinking about taking Greenland away' – it's unheard of," Kimmel exclaimed. "There's nothing to compare it to in the history of humankind. This man is crashing the plane because the stewardess didn't bring him a bag of peanuts."
The host also criticised Trump's decision to post screenshots of private text exchanges with world leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron on Truth Social. "It's so interesting to read these, because they really do tiptoe around this maniac," Kimmel noted, quoting Macron's puzzled text: "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland." Kimmel responded, "That makes 8.1 billion of us, friend." He questioned whether the leaks were intended to bolster Trump's image, remarking that every text "reads like they're talking to a chimp with a hand grenade."
Seth Meyers Takes Aim at Policy Gaffes and Vice-Presidential Diplomacy
On Late Night, Seth Meyers acknowledged the anniversary with the traditional first-anniversary gift: paper, humorously displayed next to a photo of a lit marijuana joint. He then dissected a recent video in which Trump urged Congress to pass his "great healthcare plan", claiming it would slash drug prices by "300, 400 and even 500%." "Once again, 100% is the most you can lower a price," Meyers corrected. "How did you ever run a casino? Oh right, briefly."
Meyers also touched on White House news, joking that Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha would attend the Winter Olympics opening ceremony "partly as a diplomatic move, and partly to shop for new countries to threaten." He quipped about First Lady Melania Trump speaking at a Zoom event, "kind of surprising for someone who's spent the last 10 years on mute."
Together, these monologues from Colbert, Kimmel, and Meyers provide a satirical yet pointed commentary on the first year of Trump's second term, blending humour with critiques of presidential conduct, policy missteps, and unconventional diplomatic engagements that have captured global attention.
