President Donald Trump called for NBC to fire late-night host Seth Meyers “IMMEDIATELY” on Saturday, November 15, 2025, after the comedian made multiple jokes at the president’s expense during recent broadcasts. The demand came via a post on Truth Social, where Trump accused Meyers of suffering from “an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
In his post, Trump wrote that Meyers “was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a Ratings DISASTER.” The president continued, “Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!” The attack represents the latest escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and late-night television hosts who frequently criticize the president in their monologues.
Meyers has repeatedly targeted Trump in jokes throughout the past week, addressing multiple controversial topics, including the president’s healthcare plans, the government shutdown, and proposals for a 50-year mortgage plan. During one segment, Meyers joked about the private dinner at the White House with corporate executives. The comedian also made multiple jokes about the controversy surrounding files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three emails referencing Trump that were sent by Epstein, prompting the president to respond on Truth Social by calling it “the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” and accusing Democrats of trying to deflect from their performance on the shutdown and other issues. Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and stated he ended their relationship years ago. The House of Representatives held a vote on Tuesday to release the Epstein files, an earlier timeline than initially expected.
When Democrats released email exchanges in which Epstein stated that Trump “knew about the girls,” Meyers joked that these didn’t raise new questions but rather answered old ones. He compared the situation to investigating a murder suspect and finding a shoebox in their closet labeled “murder weapon inside” with a side note reading “Yes, that murder,” quipping that detectives would say, “Chief, I think we got him.” Meyers also mocked Epstein’s description of Trump as a “dog that hasn’t barked,” noting this was particularly insulting because “Trump **** hates dogs,” before showing a compilation of Trump using dog-related insults against his political opponents.
Meyers mocked the administration’s apparent panic over the Epstein emails, noting that Trump held an emergency Situation Room meeting with Lauren Boebert and other Republicans to discuss blocking the release of the Epstein files, joking, “you know you’re in the *** when you got to count on Lauren Boebert to bail you out.” The combination of these pointed jokes about Trump’s Epstein connections and his various policy positions appears to have triggered Trump’s weekend outburst demanding NBC fire Meyers immediately.
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr amplified Trump’s message by resharing the president’s post on X. Carr did not add commentary to the repost, but his public endorsement of Trump’s demand carries significant weight given his regulatory position overseeing broadcast communications. The FCC chairman’s involvement follows a pattern of scrutiny directed at television hosts critical of the administration.
Carr previously announced he was investigating ABC over controversial remarks made by Jimmy Kimmel. Reports indicate that during a podcast appearance on September 17, 2025, Carr suggested the FCC has “remedies we can look at” regarding network content. Following Carr’s comments, Kimmel’s show was briefly pulled off the air before returning days later following significant public backlash.
The situation highlights the increasingly fraught relationship between the Trump administration and entertainment media, particularly late-night comedy programs that have traditionally exercised broad freedom to satirize political figures. Hosts including Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Meyers have faced unprecedented pressure during Trump’s presidency, with the president regularly making public criticisms of their content.
NBC has not issued a statement regarding the president’s demand. Meyers’ show, “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” airs weeknights on NBC, providing the host with a platform to potentially address the controversy during upcoming broadcasts.
On Monday, Meyers admitted he was puzzled about what triggered Trump’s latest outburst. The president had recently criticized Meyers over a joke about his complaints concerning catapults used on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
Trump’s post referred to “last night,” which led Meyers to realize it was likely something from Friday’s show. But Friday’s episode had been a rerun—specifically, the one about catapults. So, once again, it was all about the catapults.
Meyers pointed out that the president shouldn’t be able to get angry twice over the same joke when it comes from a repeat broadcast. He joked that it would be like Rachel getting upset with Ross for cheating every time someone replayed that streaming “Friends” episode. And, to be fair, Ross believed they were on a break.
The confrontation between Trump and late-night hosts raises broader questions about freedom of speech in entertainment and the appropriate relationship between political leadership and media criticism. While presidents have historically been the subject of comedy and satire, direct calls for firing specific entertainers from sitting presidents remain relatively uncommon in modern American politics. The involvement of federal regulators like Carr in amplifying these demands adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing tension between the administration and broadcast networks.
