President-elect Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on NBC late-night host Seth Meyers and the network’s parent company Comcast in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday, January 13, 2025, escalating a years-long feud that began when Meyers first mocked Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The attack came just hours before the Department of Justice released a landmark report revealing Trump would have faced conviction for attempting to overturn the 2020 election had he not won the presidency in 2024.
The President-elect’s late-night social media tirade began at approximately 1:00 AM Eastern Time. “These guys should be paying a lot of money for the right to give these ‘in kind’ contributions to the Radical Left Democrat Party,” Trump wrote. “These are not shows or entertainment. They are simply political hits, 100% of the time, to me and the Republican Party. Marble Mouth Meyers is merely a slot filler for the Scum that runs Comcast.”
Meyers has consistently targeted Trump throughout his late-night career, turning his “A Closer Look” segments into regular takedowns of Trump’s policies and statements. The comedian has previously stated that Trump “turned himself into an object of ridicule” and that his show deliberately uses “Trump’s own momentum against him.”
Trump’s animosity toward late-night television extends beyond Meyers. He has repeatedly attacked other hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, dismissing them as “talentless” and “low-rated” for their consistent criticism of his actions and policies.
The relationship between Trump and NBC has a particularly charged history. The network helped launch Trump into mainstream fame through “The Apprentice,” but tensions have escalated since he entered politics. Many of MSNBC’s leading stars are sharply critical of him.
In September 2024, Trump suggested Comcast should be investigated for “treason,” writing: “They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason.’”
Most recently, Meyers mocked Trump’s courtroom appearances and statements about the California wildfires. “It’s always so weird to hear reporters read Trump’s remarks,” Meyers said on his show. “It’s like listening to a tourist read a menu in a language they don’t speak.” The host specifically targeted Trump’s inaccurate claims about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the wildfire response.
The White House had previously condemned Trump’s media threats as “an outrageous attack on our democracy and the rule of law.”
Despite facing numerous criminal and civil charges before his election victory, Trump maintained his dominance in the Republican nomination race and successfully secured the presidency. Progressive groups have described his recent comments as “full fascist,” while media observers note that such rhetoric could have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.