NBC’s Seth Meyers concluded Tuesday’s “Closer Look” segment on Late Night by warning his audience not to get complacent when they see polls showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump.
Introducing a clip of Harris, Meyers declared, “With all that said, the polls are neck and neck and Republicans have a steep, a very steep advantage, in our absurd electoral college system. So, the Harris campaign doesn't want anyone getting cocky or complacent.”
The clip showed Harris telling supporters, “It's gonna be a tight race to the very end. So, let's not pay too much attention to those polls. Because, as unions and labor knows best, we know what it's like to be the underdog. And we are the underdog in this race.”
Meyers responded by hyping the clip and doing a Trump impression, “This is one of the many differences between the candidates. Harris says, 'Remember, we're the underdog, and Trump says, ‘If we lose, it's because they stole it. Oh, Maxine! I can't lose again. I already lost, Maxine!’”
He then digressed into expressing how grateful he is that Joe Biden is no longer the nominee:
Even the fact she has to insist she's the underdog tells you how much has changed. Before Biden dropped out, I'd wake up every morning at 5:45 in a cold sweat and refresh the New York Times election forecast until I saw at least one poll saying that Biden was within five points of Trump in Wisconsin so I could go about my day without grinding my teeth.
And then he'd be down nine and I'd scream ‘[bleep]’ and I'd wake up my kids, and then, they'd say, ‘Daddy, what is wrong?’ And I'd say, ‘Biden's down nine.’ And then they'd scream ‘[bleep]’ and I don't know where they learn language like that. School, yeah, it's probably school.
Getting back on track, Meyers wrapped up, “A lot has changed, and a lot can still change. But one thing seems certain, the election is gonna be close. And the pro-GOP bias of the electoral college makes it even closer. Trump's hiding out in the bubble of the right-wing media hoping that's enough.”
It is ironic that Meyers frets Trump will claim the election was stolen while he himself attacks the very system as “absurd” when the number of democracies that choose their leader through a direct popular vote is much lower than he implies with such descriptions. It is also ironic that Meyers accuses Trump of hiding in a bubble when Harris’s media strategy has been to hide in a left-wing one.
Here is a transcript for the September 4-taped show:
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
9/5/2024
12:50 AM ET
SETH MEYERS: With all that said, the polls are neck and neck and Republicans have a steep, a very steep advantage, in our absurd electoral college system. So, the Harris campaign doesn't want anyone getting cocky or complacent.
KAMALA HARRIS: It's gonna be a tight race to the very end. So, let's not pay too much attention to those polls. Because, as unions and labor knows best, we know what it's like to be the underdog. And we are the underdog in this race.
MEYERS: This is one of the many differences between the candidates. Harris says, ‘Remember, we're the underdog, and Trump says, [TRUMP IMPRESSION] "If we lose, it's because they stole it. Oh, Maxine! I can't lose again. I already lost, Maxine!"
[NORMAL VOICE] Even the fact she has to insist she's the underdog tells you how much has changed. Before Biden dropped out, I'd wake up every morning at 5:45 in a cold sweat and refresh the New York Times election forecast until I saw at least one poll saying that Biden was within five points of Trump in Wisconsin so I could go about my day without grinding my teeth.
And then he'd be down nine and I'd scream “[bleep]” and I'd wake up my kids, and then, they'd say, "Daddy, what is wrong?" And I'd say, "Biden's down nine." And then they'd scream “[bleep]” and I don't know where they learn language like that. School, yeah, it's probably school.
A lot has changed, and a lot can still change. But one thing seems certain, the election is gonna be close. And the pro-GOP bias of the electoral college makes it even closer. Trump's hiding out in the bubble of the right-wing media hoping that's enough. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's just chilling in his basement, calling up his buddies and asking if they want to come over and –
JD VANCE: Drink beer.
