On Saturday, former President Donald Trump took aim at late-night host Seth Meyers, criticizing him on Truth Social. This remark was later shared by Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which sparked online discussions.
Trump stated, “NBC’s Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Last night he went into an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a ratings disaster. Apart from everything else, Meyers has no talent whatsoever. NBC should fire him immediately!”
Carr’s sharing of Trump’s post on X didn’t include any extra comments from him. In recent days, Meyers had voiced criticism of Trump, particularly regarding newly released emails tied to Jeffrey Epstein that mentioned the former president.
Some progressives reacted strongly to Carr’s decision to reshare Trump’s criticism. Joe Jones, a North Carolina Democrat, commented, “So Trump slams Seth Meyers, says NBC should fire him, and President Trump’s FCC chairman, who regulates NBC, reposted it…because that’s what happens in North Korea.”
Former Congressman Justin Amash, who has been critical of Trump and left the Republican Party, chimed in on X, saying, “Abolish the FCC. The government should not rely on late-night hosts, comedians, and others to deliver commentary from corporations, whether insightful or biased.”
Liberal writer Matthew Yglesias expressed concern, stating, “We’re back at the FCC censoring comedians.” Earlier this year, Kerr had mentioned the possibility of the FCC pursuing actions against ABC and Disney due to controversial comments made by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel regarding assassination attempts.
Kimmel, who briefly faced suspension from Disney, apologized for any offense taken from his remarks, which were criticized as implying the murder suspect was a MAGA supporter. Trump had also harshly criticized Meyers in November, calling him “the least talented person.”
Trump questioned, “Why would NBC waste time and money on a guy like this? – No talent, no ratings, 100% anti-Trump, probably illegal!!!” The FCC and Meyers’ program did not provide immediate comments.
Meyers, who has hosted “Late Night” since 2014, often mocks Trump and critiques the administration during his “Close Look” segment. Carr’s remarks about Kimmel received backlash from both liberal and conservative circles, including Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
Paul labeled Kerr’s comments as “totally inappropriate,” asserting that the FCC head should not interfere in such matters. Cruz expressed disagreement with Kimmel but warned about potential government overreach in regulating media commentary, saying, “If the government says, ‘We don’t like what the media is saying, so we’re going to shut you off the airwaves,’ … that’s going to be bad for conservatives.”
