On the late Wednesday/early Thursday edition of NBC's Late Night, host Seth Meyers excoriated the "conservative movement" as a "fraud' as he attacked Vice President Mike Pence for not wearing a mask to visit a Mayo clinic, Fox News hosts for pushing to begin reopening the economy, and FreedomWorks for applying for a federal government loan.
During his regular "A Closer Look" segment, after noting that Vice President Pence had opted not to wear a mask when he recently visited a Mayor clinic, Meyers cracked:
He's like the a**hole who shows up in a restaurant with no shirt and no shoes demanding service: Give me crab cakes or give me death, man! And, Mike, you may not have the coronavirus, but that doesn't mean you can't spread the other diseases you do have like, for example, rheumatoid gravititis or chronic furrowed brow or mayonnaise blood.
He soon took aim at Fox News for talking up reopening the economy:
But this gets at a core maxim of the Trump cult. They see themselves as above the rules and above you. That's why Trump and his sycophants on Fox News are all talking about reopening the economy and proclaiming that we need to all get back to work. What they really mean is you need to get back to work while they sit comfortably in safe isolation. You know, like Real Housewives of Westchester, Jeannine Pirro, or Long Island Lurch Sean Hannity.
He then declared: "This crisis has revealed everything the conservative movement pretended to believe in to be a fraud," and complained about right-leaning groups promoting protests in favor of reopening more businesses.
Myers recalled that FreedomWorks had supported the 2009 Tea Party movement opposing bailouts, and cited a New York Times article as reporting that the group is applying for a loan, quoting one of its members as stating that he would "love to get some free cash" for the group.
The liberal comedian then snarked: "You got to love the Trump era when people just admit their s***tiness out loud. Hey, maybe say, 'We want the money to pay our employees in these trying times.' Nah, I'm going to go with, 'I love free cash."
As he summed up, Meyers again called conservatives "frauds" and suggested that he would "dance in the streets of China town" when they are out of power:
This crisis has revealed, once again, everything these people told you about the conservative movement and what they pretended to stand for was a lie. They're all frauds, and now they're all sycophants to an incompetent authoritarian who repeatedly ignored warnings about what was coming. And one day, when they're all out of power, I'll be the first tosay, "Hey, everyone,"
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: -- let's dance in the streets of China Town --
MEYERS: This has been "A Closer Look."
Below is the relevant transcript (click "expand"):
NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers
April 30, 2020
12:40 a.m. EasternSETH MEYERS: When Vice President Mike Pence visited the Mayo Clinic, he declined to wear a mask despite the fact that the clinic requires visitors to wear masks, and they made Pence's office aware of that fact before the trip. Well, at least that image will last forever. I mean, look at that. He's the only one not wearing a mask. Why couldn't you just follow the rules, man? Do you think if you purse your lips hard enough, the virus can't get in?
He's like the a**hole who shows up in a restaurant with no shirt and no shoes demanding service: Give me crab cakes or give me death, man! And, Mike, you may not have the coronavirus, but that doesn't mean you can't spread the other diseases you do have like, for example, rheumatoid gravititis or chronic furrowed brow or mayonnaise blood.
(…)
But this gets at a core maxim of the Trump cult. They see themselves as above the rules and above you. That's why Trump and his sycophants on Fox News are all talking about reopening the economy and proclaiming that we need to all get back to work. What they really mean is you need to get back to work while they sit comfortably in safe isolation. You know, like Real Housewives of Westchester, Jeannine Pirro, or Long Island Lurch Sean Hannity.
This crisis has revealed everything the conservative movement pretended to believe in to be a fraud. And there's no better example of that than the protests you've probably seen on TV against the stay at home order. Reality polls show the vast majority of Americans support the stay at home rule. But these small protests are being ginned up by right-wing groups to support Trump's push to prematurely reopen the economy.
Groups like FreedomWorks, which played a pivotal role in the Tea Party movement 10 years ago -- specifically decrying bailout. The New York Times reported that "among the applicants for loans from the Small Business Administration's stimulus package is the foundation arm of FreedomWorks." The president of FreedomWorks said, "I would love for someone to give us free cash."
You got to love the Trump era when people just admit their s***tiness out loud. Hey, maybe say, "We want the money to pay our employees in these trying times." Nah, I'm going to go with, "I love free cash."
And I have an idea, FreedomWorks. Instead of freeloading off the government, why don't you pick yourself up by your boot straps and take some personal responsibility. Go out there and get a job as an essential worker in a grocery store or as a postal worker or in a meat processing plant. All you have to do is change one letter in your name and boom, you're no longer FreedomWorks -- you're FreedomPorks.
This crisis has revealed, once again, everything these people told you about the conservative movement and what they pretended to stand for was a lie. They're all frauds, and now they're all sycophants to an incompetent authoritarian who repeatedly ignored warnings about what was coming. And one day, when they're all out of power, I'll be the first tosay, "Hey, everyone,"
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: -- let's dance in the streets of China Town --
MEYERS: This has been "A Closer Look."
