David Letterman is standing behind his “good friend” Seth Meyers amid President Donald Trump‘s calls to fire the late-night host.
After being the subject of Meyers’ recent monologue roasts on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last week (which was reposted by FCC chair Brendan Carr): “NBC’s Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a Ratings DISASTER. Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!”
In a new episode of “The Barbara Gaines Show,” late-night veteran Letterman — who hosted NBC’s “Late Night” from 1982 to 1993 before taking over CBS’ “The Late Show” until 2015 — came to Meyers’ defense. “I’ve never been more proud of Seth Meyers,” he said. “That’s our old show, as a matter of fact. Yeah, we used to do that show, and he does a magical job.”
Letterman then referenced Trump’s response to a reporter’s question last week about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia, saying: “But just remember Seth, things happen. You know what I’m saying?”
Later in the episode, Letterman called Trump’s administration “just a wonder of idiocy” and said the president is “our dictator” and is “not going anywhere.”
“It’s like 18 times the worst behavior one has witnessed ever anywhere,” Letterman added of Trump. “Think of the worst thing that you’ve ever seen humans accomplish. This is so much worse.”
Meyers seems to be Trump’s latest late-night target, after repeated social media attacks on Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. Kimmel’s show was suspended in September following pressure from the FCC after his comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk, but returned a week later. Colbert’s “The Late Show” is coming to an end in May 2026, though CBS has insisted it was a “purely financial decision” and not politically motivated.
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Watch a clip from “The Barbara Gaines Show” below.
From Variety US