Late-Night Hosts Rebuke Trump’s ‘Dictatorial Demands’

NEW YORK — Late-night television hosts voiced their frustrations with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, highlighting what they described as his dictatorial behavior and his recent demands toward higher education institutions. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Roy Wood Jr. tackled Trump’s actions against both a wrongly deported Maryland man and Harvard University during their respective monologues.

Colbert opened the discussion by addressing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under what the Trump administration called an ‘administrative error.’ Despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering Garcia’s return, the administration has not complied. ‘These are court orders, not court suggestions!’ Colbert declared to the audience. ‘We’re not on our way to a dictatorship; we’re on the ship,’ he added, referencing Trump’s apparent disregard for the judicial system.

During the segment, Colbert also commented on the growing tension between the Trump administration and top universities, particularly Harvard. Amid Trump’s calls for universities to dismantle diversity programs and impose stricter regulations, Harvard emerged as the first institution to reject his directives. ‘Now you’re just like the rest of us because you just got rejected by Harvard,’ Colbert quipped.

Kimmel also weighed in, joking about Trump’s battle with the elite university, emphasizing its reputation for producing influential alumni. ‘My money’s on Harvard,’ he said, referring to the school’s longevity and resilience. He added a playful jab at Trump’s past with Trump University, describing it as ‘fraudulent.’ Kimmel humorously linked Trump’s emphasis on a ‘merit-based’ hiring system to his own cabinet choices, suggesting that they might not reflect such merit.

Meanwhile, The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. tackled the issue of the deported Garcia, using humor to address the absurdity of the situation. He suggested that Trump and his team seemed to delight in the chaos. ‘This is like every customer service call I’ve ever been on,’ he joked, drawing parallels between the administration’s evasion of accountability and poor customer service practices.

Colbert concluded his segment with remarks about the potential for other citizens to face similar fates as Garcia under Trump’s administration, raising alarms about due process and civil rights. He warned viewers, ‘If what happened to this guy doesn’t apply to you, try adding the word ‘yet” in light of Trump’s increasingly aggressive policies.

As the late-night discussions unfolded, it became clear that the hosts are not only using humor to critique Trump’s administration but are also calling attention to serious constitutional concerns that resonate with their audiences.