Late-Night Hosts Dissect Springsteen's Protest Song and Trump's Controversial Moves
In a week dominated by political and cultural flashpoints, America's leading late-night television hosts delivered sharp commentary on everything from a new Bruce Springsteen protest track to a much-ridiculed documentary premiere. The discussions centred on President Donald Trump's plunging popularity, his administration's immigration enforcement policies, and the ongoing fallout from his attacks on political opponents.
Colbert on Springsteen's 'Streets of Minneapolis' and Olympic ICE Plans
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert addressed reports of a rattled President Trump, whose approval ratings have suffered due to what Colbert termed his "goons' brutality." Colbert suggested the President was backed into a corner, quipping, "if you startle him when he’s cornered, he’ll inflate his neck pouch." The host then turned to the "incredibly unpopular mass deportations" that inspired Bruce Springsteen to release a fiery new song, Streets of Minneapolis.
Colbert praised the track as "poignant and powerful," noting Springsteen's iconic status makes him "as American as it gets." He also joked about the lyrical challenge, asking, "Do you know how hard it is to rhyme with Minneapolis?" Drawing a parallel to the musician's earlier work about the AIDS crisis, Streets of Philadelphia, Colbert warned, "You really don’t want Bruce Springsteen to write a song about your streets."
The comedy segment took a surreal turn as Colbert reacted to news that Trump is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Colbert called this "a terrible idea," stating firmly, "The only ice I wanna see at the Winter Olympics is ice dancing." He reported that Milan lawmakers are already angered and may deny entry to what he called Trump's "thugs." Colbert capped the critique with a culinary jab, labelling the plan "America’s greatest insult to Italy since Olive Garden’s steak Gorgonzola alfredo."
Kimmel Mocks the 'Melania' Documentary Premiere
Over on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host focused on the Washington DC premiere of the documentary Melania, which has reportedly netted the First Lady $28 million from Amazon. Kimmel summarised the affair as evidence that "everything is just so deeply corrupt but also preposterous."
He noted the puzzling attendance of rapper Nicki Minaj, whom he described as Trump's "new celebrity friend," pointing out the irony given her past undocumented status in the US. "She is exactly who ICE has been rounding up," Kimmel observed. The host also connected the event to broader concerns, referencing FBI raids in Georgia related to debunked voter fraud claims and warning, "The election in 2020 wasn’t rigged, but it’s about to be."
Kimmel compared the premiere's guest list to "the lineup of season 35 of Dancing With the Stars" and joked, "not since The Terminator has there been this much excitement for a film about a European cyborg." He played clips of Melania Trump's promotional interviews, sarcastically suggesting her favourite time of day would be "any time that Donald is taking a nap." Kimmel also highlighted that the film's director, Brett Ratner, has faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations, adding dryly, "so Melania felt right at home on set."
Meyers Targets Trump's 'Brain-Worm' Social Media Storm
Seth Meyers used his Late Night platform to dissect the president's recent social media activity, which he labelled the "usual brain-worm stuff." Meyers focused particularly on Trump's repeated attacks on Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, including baseless claims about her wealth escalating from $30 million to $45 million. Meyers noted that these lies had real-world consequences, as "someone who believed those lies tried to attack" Omar at a town hall this week.
Trump's subsequent response was to allege she "probably faked it herself." Meyers criticised this pattern, stating, "Trump and Maga always think that anything that doesn’t fit neatly within their preconceived worldview must be fake." The host also called out a demonstrably false post by Trump about Walmart closures, which the company itself had to publicly deny.
Throughout the segment, Meyers portrayed Trump as someone who "throws his slop into the world confidently," creating a chaotic information environment that fuels division and, in this instance, endangered a public official.
Collectively, the monologues from Colbert, Kimmel, and Meyers provided a satirical yet pointed critique of a tumultuous week in American politics, blending humour with serious commentary on immigration policy, media spectacle, and the president's inflammatory rhetoric.
