After a thrilling 1-0 victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Final, Spain stood center stage for the traditional trophy list. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump hijacked the moment by aimlessly standing beside the team, leading to worldwide mockery. On Monday's Late Night, Seth Meyers offered a theory on why the president wouldn't budge from the stage.
President Trump made sure he left his mark on the World Cup tournament as it toured around the country. From buddying up to FIFA's president to allegedly intervening to get a U.S. player's red card rescinded, the president almost always found a way into the tournament's headlines.
So of course he had to be there for the final, breaking tradition by co-presenting Spain with the iconic World Cup trophy. But President Trump's inability (or refusal) to get off stage and give the Spanish players there moment quickly went viral.
Meyers used "A Closer Look" to examine the situation, starting off by highlighting how odd it was that President Trump would want to celebrate Spain. After all, the U.S. leader recently lashed out against the European nation for its refusal to fully support the American war in Iran.
Why didn't President Trump get off the podium? According to Meyers, it comes down to his love of shiny objects. “If you’re surprised he’s up there, you forgot the first rule of Trump, which is: everything goes out of the window if gold is around," Meyers said.
Of course, President Trump's love of all things gold is well documented. You just have to look around the White House to see how the president is attracted to even just the color, never mind the actual metal.
Late-night hosts like Meyers have had an easy time mocking President Trump for his gold affection. Jon Stewart blasted the president for preaching moderation while decorating the Oval Office with one gold ornament after another. Stephen Colbert mocked the president's "gold card" idea for immigrants. And Jimmy Fallon had plenty of fun at the expense of Donald Trump's gold sneaker offering.
Meyers did suggest there was another reason the president stood around while Spain celebrated. It wasn't any less flattering, as the "Closer Look" segment suggested “Trump insisted on standing there, either because he wanted the attention or he forgot where he was because he’s 80 and his brain is smoother than a soccer ball.”
It wasn't the first embarrassing moment on the world stage for President Trump, and it likely won't be the last. While he may not give these moments a second thought, late-night TV fans can definitely count on Seth Meyers taking a closer look.
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