President Donald Trump is again sharing his thoughts about late-night TV. His latest tirade is directed at Seth Meyers, demanding that NBC fire the Late Night host. But what makes this time different is that the chairman of the FCC reposted Trump’s call, putting NBC in a tight spot that’s about more than TV ratings.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Meyers of having “an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)” and slammed his program as a “Ratings DISASTER.” He went further, claiming Meyers “has no talent” and urging NBC to pull the plug on his show. It certainly isn't the first time Trump has targeted Meyers; the president made similar posts in the wake of CBS cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
And of course, it's easy to see why Trump wants Meyers off the air. The late-night host recently roasted Trump in his monologues on everything from Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released emails to Trump’s handling of the government shutdown.
But things went to a new level when Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC, shared Trump’s post on X, without any added commentary but clearly endorsed the idea of NBC cutting Meyers loose. And this isn't the first time the FCC head has weighed in on late-night TV. Carr raised red flags in September when he suggested the FCC could get involved if there weren't consequences for Kimmel's comments about Charlie Kirk. Soon after, broadcasters dropped Kimmel and ABC took the comedian off the air.
What will NBC do about Seth Meyers?
For NBC, there is a lot to consider. There have been reports that the network's parent company, Comcast, wants to bid on Warner Bros. Discovery. For such a merger to go through, FCC Chair Brendan Carr would have a say in it.
Many critics believe something similar played out with Stephen Colbert and CBS. That network's parent company, Paramount, was in the midst of selling to Skydance and needed the government to sign off. Announcing that one of Trump's biggest critics was losing his job probably made the administration very happy. Maybe CBS setting the precedent, however unsettling, would make it easier for NBC to do something similar.
But firing Meyers would be a risky move. He’s been with NBC for years, first at Saturday Night Live and then Late Night. Plus, his contract was extended through 2028, and his show offers consistent, pointed political commentary that pulls in huge numbers on social media. What message would caving to Trump send to the likes of Jimmy Fallon or Saturday Night Live? How long would they last on NBC if Meyers gets booted?
NBC would also have to prepare for the fallout if it went ahead and fired Meyers. Disney suffered some immediate financial losses when it suspended Jimmy Kimmel, and CBS endured vocal protests when it announced Stephen Colbert would be off the air next year.
Financially, even if Meyers’ show isn’t the highest-rated late-night show, it's cheap to produce compared to scripted dramas, and his commentary plays well in the digital era. NBC has to weigh whether giving in would cost more in credibility and audience trust than keeping him on air.
So what happens next? The network could make a public statement defending Meyers or let the comedian speak for himself on Monday night's show. If Carr leans in harder, he could explore formal “public interest” arguments or other FCC leverage to pressure NBC. No matter what, it's yet another turning point in what has been an unprecedented year in late-night TV.