David Letterman may no longer sit behind a late-night desk, but he’s still keeping a close eye on the genre he helped define. The former Late Show host weighed in on the escalating tensions between President Donald Trump and the current generation of late-night personalities, delivering pointed warning for one of them in particular.
Letterman addressed Trump’s latest attack, in which the president took to social media to demand that NBC fire Seth Meyers as host of Late Night. For Letterman, the moment was both absurd and revealing. “The president of the United States now wants to fire Seth Meyers,” Letterman said on theBarbara Gaines Show. “And I thought, ‘This is just delightful. How do you think that’s going to go?’”
The late-night icon gave Meyers his full endorsement, saying the current Late Night host is doing a fantastic job. But reflecting the pessimistic cloud hanging over late-night TV, Letterman issued a warning to Meyers: "But just remember, Seth, things happen. You know what I'm saying?"
It may have been another jab at President Trump in reference to the president's controversial comments over killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, there's no denying that President Trump carries a certain level of influence when it comes to what audiences see on television. Many believe Paramount dumped Stephen Colbert to make Trump happy, and the same could happen to Meyers if NBC's parent company wants to get on the government's good side.
Seth Meyers should make David Letterman proud with his Trump strategy
Meyers, for his part, has shown no signs of backing down. After Trump’s demand that he be fired, the Late Night host responded on his show by largely brushing off the attack. Rather than escalate things, he dismissed Trump’s complaints with a characteristic mix of wry humor and exasperation, avoiding a direct, prolonged feud. But he also made clear that he has no intention of softening his political commentary. In the wake of the Kimmel and Colbert situations, Meyers has suggested that Late Night will continue to call out Trump whenever he believes it’s warranted.
That approach is admirable but also comes with risk, as Letterman also noted. As much as Meyers effectively said he's not going anywhere, the same could be said about Donald Trump. There's still a long time to go before Trump's term officially ends in January 2029. “He’s our current — he’s our dictator. He’s not going anywhere," Letterman said.
Meyers' determination is exactly what Letterman seemed to honor, even as he offered a bleak, (but humorous) warning. His comments show that in 2025, late-night TV is more than just the entertainment it was in his prime. Now, it’s a frontline in politics with no signs of slowing down. Trump will continue targeting the hosts who criticize him, which will only validate Letterman’s message to Meyers and the rest of late-night TV.