President Trump’s $1 billion losses get ‘A Closer Look’ from Seth Meyers
By Matt Moore
Seth Meyers recapped a new report on Donald Trump’s financial losses as a real estate mogul.
Rarely does any new report come out that could be considered positive for President Donald Trump. On top of that, any investigations into his personal finances annoy the president, which is why news that his businesses lost $1 billion in 10 years is making headlines. It’s also why Seth Meyers decided to take a closer look.
According to the New York Times,tax information indicates that Trump has claimed losses totaling over $1 billion related to his hotels, casinos, and apartment complexes. The president immediately responded on Twitter by suggesting he only claimed those losses to avoid higher taxes. But his explanation couldn’t stop “#BillionDollarLoser” from trending.
Nobody in late night is better at breaking down these stories on Trump than Seth Meyers. He and the team of writers at Late Night have perfected “A Closer Look.” The story on Trump’s financial losses makes for a perfect subject and comes not long after Meyers criticized White House efforts to keep Trump’s tax returns secret.
Meyers starts with a quick recap of Congress vs. Attorney General William Barr. Barr has rapidly become a favorite target of late night shows for his role in the Mueller report release. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was especially critical of Barr and Meyers is following that lead.
Moving on to Trump’s taxes from the 1980s and 1990s gives Meyers a chance to return to one of his favorite topics: Trump’s exaggerations. Whether it is negotiating, playing golf, or attracting supporters, the president has been known to inflate the facts in his favor. And Seth Meyers has been known to call him out on it.
Meyers uses this to remind viewers about Trump pretending to be his own publicist, John Barron. It was part of Trump’s efforts to create then enhance his celebrity status and reputation as a mogul. But the numbers and figures he was using to do that simply were not true.
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It all adds up to Seth Meyers concluding that President Donald Trump is “one of the world’s most prolific con artists.” That is surely not a label that Trump wants associated with his name. But just like “#BillionDollarLoser,” he may not have much say in the matter when people keep taking a closer look at his past.