Late-night television hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have recently addressed several high-profile issues relating to the Trump administration, focusing heavily on immigration policies and their broader social impact.
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert highlighted a noticeable decline in international travel to the United States, noting an 11% drop in recent months. He specifically mentioned that Las Vegas has reportedly suffered an $18 million loss as a consequence of this downturn. Colbert attributed this decline to growing concerns among potential tourists. “People from overseas are frightened to come here,” he said, referencing a report that revealed the most significant reduction in Australian tourists since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Quipping on the severity of the situation, he remarked, “Do you know how bad things have to be to scare off Australians?”
Colbert also discussed President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to deport individuals to El Salvador, despite court orders aimed at halting such actions. He accused the administration of “ignoring court orders left and right,” particularly in relation to planes carrying deportees. A specific case was spotlighted involving Kilmar Ábrego García, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. The US Supreme Court has ordered the administration to facilitate García’s return, yet Trump officials have reportedly stated they will defer to El Salvador’s discretion on whether to send him back. Colbert sarcastically referred to the US as “a gentle passive giant that would never put pressure on a sovereign nation.”
During a recent interview on Fox News, President Trump referred to American citizens as “homegrowns” while discussing potential future deportations. Colbert jokingly compared this term to the slang for low-quality marijuana: “that’s what your cousin calls the crappy weed he’s trying to sell you.” Trump also described violent criminals using baseball bats to assault people, which Colbert likened to a scene from an animated cartoon, asking, “Did Donald Trump grow up on the mean streets of Looney Tunes?”
The consequences of Trump’s aggressive “snatch and grab immigration policies” were evident at a recent town hall meeting, where Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, aged 91, faced angry members of the public protesting these measures. Colbert wryly commented, “He’s so old he also showed up to the town hall to complain.”
Further controversy surrounds a proposed initiative within the Trump administration to cut federal funding for public broadcasters NPR and PBS. Despite operating with limited budgets, these organisations have been targeted supposedly because they do not align with the administration’s priorities. In a comedic tone, Colbert suggested this could result in changes to beloved children's programming, joking that “Sesame Street would become Sesame Street: Bert and Ernie Have Wives Now.”
On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, host Jimmy Kimmel characterised the deportation policies as “cruel and criminal,” reiterating the administration’s involvement in García’s case. He labelled President Trump a “lunatic” prone to making unfounded claims, citing Trump’s prolific media appearances, including “12 interviews a day.” Kimmel criticised a recent Fox interview where Trump suggested immigrants should effectively deport themselves—calling it a “new idea” that he “vomited out.” Adding a humorous twist, Kimmel quipped, “Usually when Trump offers an immigrant money and plane tickets to go away, it’s because he’s getting divorced.”
Apart from political satire, Kimmel touched on a report from the Wall Street Journal concerning businessman Elon Musk. The report detailed Musk’s controversial personal life, focusing on his attempt to recruit women to bear his children and his practice of securing their silence. Musk is known to have at least 14 children, but there may be “many more mini-Musks out there,” according to the report. Kimmel jokingly compared Musk to a hybrid of sci-fi characters, saying, “You’ve heard of Alien vs Predator, Elon might be both.”
In addition, Kimmel briefly referenced an ongoing dispute between Musk and Harvard University involving demands for a thorough “de-woking” of the institution. He also ridiculed Mike Lindell, host of an internet show that recently encountered technical difficulties, quipping, “He may be the only person on Earth whose life was better when he was smoking crack.”
Both Colbert and Kimmel’s commentary reflects a continuation of their politically charged humour, focusing on recent developments within the Trump administration and associated news stories.
Source: Noah Wire Services