A Closer Look: Seth Meyers on why Trump’s rally was a flop

In A Closer Look, Seth Meyers recapped President Donald Trump’s Tulsa rally

If ever President Donald Trump was going to listen to the advice of his critics, his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma was his chance. Despite calls for him to hold off on his first MAGA rally since the pandemic, the president held in an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma that ultimately flopped. To understand why it was a dud, Late Night with Seth Meyers took “A Closer Look.”

Seth Meyers was among those who called out President Trump for scheduling rallies across the country. “A Closer Look” has been used several times to point out the White House failing to seriously address COVID-19 concerns. Holding indoor events with large crowds (in theory) went against recommendations from medical experts.

But the Trump Train could not be stopped once it set its sights on Tulsa. Only backlash against holding it on Juneteenth had any impact and the stage was set for Saturday night.

By all accounts, the rally backfired. Meyers explained why during “A Closer Look” on Monday night, covering the crowd size, health risks, odd moments during the speech, and more.

In A Closer Look, Seth Meyers says the rally was only meant to be an ego boost

Over the past few weeks, Seth Meyers has not gone through a “Closer Look” segment without reminding his audience of some bigger picture issues. He has consistently pointed to civil unrest, the pandemic, and other social issues as having their roots in the inept leadership of the Republican Party.

The trend continued on Monday night as Meyers blasted former National Security Adviser John Bolton as well as Republican greed, incompetence, and immorality. These same qualities were behind the decision to hold a rally during a pandemic, says Meyers.

The Late Night host tries to wrap his head around exposing people to disease just so President Trump can feel good about himself. With that being the goal, it’ s hard to categorize the rally as anything other than a failure according to Meyers. The crowd size was well below expectations. Meyers knows it was a massive blow to President Trump’s ego and the headlines that followed certainly didn’t help.

Meyers also focused on the substance of President Trump’s address. He criticizes the president for failing to offer any sympathy, comfort, or inspiration in response to the pandemic death toll. Instead, the most common topic was coverage of the president’s West Point speech.

Clearly President Trump thought that his defense against being ridiculed for struggling on a ramp and drinking water with two hands would change the narrative. Instead, it only gave comedians like Seth Meyers more reason to tease him and suggest that the president has failed to project the strength he’s tried to do in the past.

For Meyers, President Trump once again failed to rise to the occasion. The Tulsa rally left both the president and the country feeling deflated, something that Meyers summed up in the closing moments of “A Closer Look:”

"The president staked his political fortunes on a rally that turned out to be a dud amid a series of mounting crises that have deflated his already historically bad poll numbers. It’s a reminder that this president is deeply unpopular and his only hope of get relected is by scaring people and undermining the integrity of the election itself."

What did you think of this “A Closer Look” segment? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Keep checking Last Night On for more from Late Night with Seth Meyers and the rest of late night television.