NBC’s decision to keep “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on the air through 2028 has triggered an escalating clash with President Donald Trump, who is now calling for the comedian’s immediate termination and threatening to pull the network’s broadcast license.
The confrontation has drawn in federal regulators, with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr publicly backing Trump’s push to oust Meyers while another commissioner has declared such license revocation threats would violate the Constitution.
NBC actually renewed Meyers’ deal in May 2024, locking him in until 2028. But more than a year later, in an August 27, 2025, Truth Social message posted around 2 a.m., Trump characterized the extension as a “sick rumor” and tore into the host as “one of the least talented Late Night television hosts” possessing “no Ratings, Talent, or Intelligence” and behaving like “an insecure child.” The president added: “I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be finding out!!!”
Regulatory Pressure and License Threats
By November 2025, Trump’s criticism had evolved into a concrete demand that NBC and its parent corporation, Comcast, terminate Meyers “immediately.” He simultaneously revived his proposal to strip both NBC and ABC of their broadcast licenses. Carr amplified that demand by reposting it, while a fellow FCC member publicly warned that wielding licensing authority to retaliate against a broadcaster’s content choices would be unconstitutional.
The president’s ire toward NBCUniversal began before his return to office. He previously promised to investigate the network over what he characterized as biased election coverage favoring Democrats during the 2024 race, establishing a pattern of sustained attacks on major broadcast companies during his second term.
In August 2025, Trump questioned why ABC and NBC were not remitting what he described as license fees for using public airwaves, arguing that networks mistreating Republicans and conservatives should either forfeit their licenses or pay substantial fees. The statements represented a sweeping challenge to commercial broadcasting.
Meyers’ Monologues Fuel the Conflict
The former “Saturday Night Live” performer has made Trump a regular target in his “A Closer Look” segments, which dissect administration policies and the president’s own social media activity. During the summer of 2026 alone, Meyers devoted “A Closer Look” installments to Trump on July 17, 24, 28 and 31, with the final segment ridiculing the president’s approval numbers.
He has also critiqued the White House’s tariff policies, efforts to place Washington, D.C., under federal control, and takeover of the Kennedy Center. Trump previously wrote that he “got stuck watching Marble Mouth Meyers the other night, the first time in months” and branded him a “moron,” framing the show as a political weapon rather than entertainment.
As of April 2026, “Late Night with Seth Meyers” was attracting 1 million viewers, though its social media footprint extends far beyond that figure. The program reached its 10-year anniversary in 2024, with then-President Joe Biden making a guest appearance. Speaking on a 2025 episode of the “Armchair Expert” podcast, Meyers acknowledged that his concerns had evolved from his own work to whether the late-night format could survive long-term.
Industry Turbulence and Colbert’s Exit
Trump’s hostility toward late-night programming has unfolded alongside genuine turmoil in the genre. CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, a move the president applauded and suggested should extend to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.
At NBCUniversal’s upfront event in May 2026, Meyers mocked CBS as “so in the pocket for Trump,” a dig delivered as the network shuttered its late-night flagship and faced scrutiny over a settlement its corporate parent reached with the president. His public remarks about the format’s uncertain future mirror the industry’s broader instability.
No Official Probe Disclosed
Despite the barrage of threats, no White House investigation of NBCUniversal has been formally announced, and it remains uncertain what legal authority the president could invoke to challenge a network’s personnel decisions. The license revocation proposals already face constitutional objections from within the FCC.
What has emerged is a multi-front battle involving contracts, audience metrics, regulatory intimidation and nightly comedy segments. Whether the dispute will translate into actual government action or remain a rhetorical feud is still unknown.
