Late-night hosts talked about Joe Biden’s debate challenge for Trump and congressional Republicans’ matching outfits to support the former president in court.
Seth Meyers
Before Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial took a day off on Wednesday, the former president invited Joe Biden to attend the next trial date. “Maybe you could’ve gotten Biden to come if you let him sit on the jury,” joked Seth Meyers on Late Night. “Biden seems like the kind of guy who would jump at the chance to sit on a jury.
“Seriously though, you really expect Biden to come down to the courthouse?” he added. “Only a truly pathetic loser with nothing better to do would fly to New York with the sole purpose of joining Donald Trump at his criminal trial for paying hush money to a porn star.”
Which is exactly what several congressional Republicans did on Tuesday, dressed in matching dark suits with red ties. “Why are they all dressed the same? Did their luggage get lost and they all bought the same Donald Trump costume from Spirit Halloween?” Meyers laughed.
“So Biden showed some impressive restraint and resisted Trump’s irresistible offer to join him at the Manhattan courthouse,” Meyers explained, “but then today Biden issued his own debate invitation to Trump” with a video that mocked how Trump’s trial is not in session on Wednesdays. As Biden put it: “Let’s pick the dates, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”
“Joke’s on you, Joe – he’s actually not free on Wednesdays, because that’s when he preps for his other criminal trials,” said Meyers.
Trump told the Fox Business network that the dates were “acceptable” and that he would “provide my own transportation”.
“This is like a production of Bring It On at a men’s only old-age home,” Meyers quipped.
Stephen Colbert
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert looked at Trump’s other official response to Biden’s debate challenge, with a lengthy post on Truth Social that read, in part: “Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’”
“Rumble? I’ve seen your rallies,” Colbert retorted. “I think you mean ‘let’s get ready to ramble.’”
Trump also agreed to Biden’s conditions: that the debates would occur without an audience, inside a TV studio with microphones that automatically cut off when a speaker’s time limit elapses. “Imagine Trump with his mic cut,” said Colbert. “He’s going to look like the world’s angriest mime.”
Asked outside the court if he planned to testify, Trump told reporters: “I am under a gag order, so I can’t really answer those very simple questions that you’re asking.”
“Fun fact: that is not part of the gag order,” Colbert corrected. “Trump is just using it as an excuse to dodge any question he doesn’t want to answer.” Colbert imagined Trump’s son Eric asking him out to brunch for Father’s Day, and Trump responding with: “I’m sorry, I’m under a gag order. In that if I had to watch you gummin’ your way through brunch, I would gag.”
The Daily Show
Aww...Biden and Trump finally set a date! pic.twitter.com/gLQ0CIaSa4
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 16, 2024
Donald Trump had a day off from court on Wednesday, “which he was going to spend trying to guess Melania’s new phone number”, joked guest host Desi Lydic on The Daily Show. “But his arch-nemesis Joe Biden had other plans.”
That would be challenging Trump to presidential debates and shading his day off from court. “Oh shit! Now that’s the Joe Biden I know and moderately like,” said Lydic. “He ain’t scared of nothing! Besides, uh, natural causes.”
“I’ve got to admit, there was part of me that thought Joe Biden would be afraid to debate Donald Trump, because debating involves, you know, a lot of talking. And thinking, and standing,” said Lydic. “But woo! The way that he powered through that 14-second video makes me think he’s got this!”
Lydic was initially skeptical that Trump would accept the challenge – “C’mon, Trump skipped every primary debate like it was foreplay,” she joked. “There’s no way he’s going to accept Biden’s challenge.”
Yet Trump posted on Truth Social that he did in fact accept, and added, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”
“Oh yeah, we’re making moves now!” Lydic faux-cheered. As of now, Biden and Trump will debate on 27 June on CNN. “I can’t wait to watch … like this,” Lydic said with her hands over her eyes. “It’s amazing how when they want to do something, they can get it done super fast. It kind of makes you wonder why they don’t fix other problems this fast, but whatever.”
