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Comedian Lashes Out Over President’s Attacks On Late Night Hosts

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Andy Richter
Photo Credit: Cory Doctorow, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The tension between President Donald Trump and the late night world erupted again as comedian Andy Richter offered an unusually blunt take on how he believes the industry should react to the administration’s pressure campaign.

His remarks arrive at a moment when the landscape for political comedy has grown increasingly fraught, with veteran hosts facing public criticism, suspensions, and cancellations.

The “Three Questions With Andy Richter” Sirius XM host opened by describing how he and Conan O’Brien would have handled the situation if their long tenure on late night television were still ongoing.

He noted that their approach would mirror what he sees among the current slate of hosts.

“We would be doing what everyone else of them is doing, which is all gas and no brakes. Because f*** that guy, you know?” he began.

Richter functioned as O’Brien’s writer, announcer, and on-air partner across three major programs spanning three decades.

When Jimmy Kimmel Live faced an abrupt six-day suspension this fall, questions surfaced about whether late night hosts should pull back.

Richter said he rejected that idea when asked if Kimmel should soften criticism of the administration’s posture toward comedic commentary.

According to Richter, he replied, “No, he should go harder. There’s no question.”

He continued by describing the suspension as “outrageous” and “un-American.”

Richter also pointed to what he considers an unwillingness from officials to withstand criticism, noting that such reactions project “cowardice of somebody that can’t take a joke.”

Richter views the current friction between the administration and high-profile comedians as a reflection of a broader shift in entertainment.

He acknowledged that late night television is not the powerhouse it once was, observing that the era of dominant nightly ratings is long gone.

Despite that shift, he considers the president’s real-time reactions to satire troubling.

Richter argued that public figures should avoid validating mockery by responding to it.

Instead, he said that Trump’s behavior shows “profound insecurity, weakness, childishness, and also lack of content that this administration has.”

He accused the administration of using government authority to target comedy, which he described as “indicative” of officials he sees as “weak, uncreative, not real bright people.”

The latest wave of the back-and-forth was triggered by Kimmel’s commentary about the release of long-awaited Epstein files.

In a recent monologue, Kimmel touched on Trump’s approval of legislation requiring the Justice Department to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“We are carefully following the path of Hurricane Epstein right now. It is a category 5, it’s expected to make landfall sometime very soon,” Kimmel quipped.

He also posed two questions about what the president may have known and referenced the ages of certain women linked to the case.

Kimmel added a jab after legislation was signed by Trump earlier that day, joking, “Usually when Trump gets a bill, he declares bankruptcy and doesn’t pay it.”

Trump responded on Truth Social roughly an hour later in a post questioning why ABC continues to keep Kimmel on air.

“Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” the President wrote.

“Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!”

Earlier this week, Kimmel criticized Trump for an interaction with a female reporter aboard Air Force One in which he told her “Quiet, piggy.”

Kimmel commented that such behavior would seem unrealistic even in dramatized workplace scenarios.

“If a man spoke like that to a female co-worker in a workplace harassment training video, you’d go, “Ah, that’s over the top. Nobody would do that,”‘ he joked.

He then pointed to Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, arguing that the president was welcoming a major figure whose record had drawn international scrutiny.

“Today, Trump did what most people would do when faced with a scandal that could potentially end his presidency. He welcomed an evil prince to the White House,” he opened.

Kimmel referenced the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince “gave a green light” to the attack and mentioning financial ties involving members of the Trump family.

Kimmel later showed footage of Trump reacting sharply to a question about Khashoggi and added, “How dare you embarrass a man who had a columnist sawed into pieces.”

Kimmel also accused Trump of raging whenever the Epstein case is brought up, saying, “If anyone thinks he’s going to release all the Epstein files I’ve got a beautiful East Wing of the White House to sell you.”

As controversies build around late night figures, Richter said he believes the crackdown from the administration and from FCC Chair Brendan Carr reflects misplaced priorities.

“If you’re going after the joke makers, you’re probably wrong,” he noted. “That’s just a general rule that I would that I would recommend for everyone to go on.”

Trump also recently targeted Seth Meyers after the host joked about Trump’s remarks on the construction of aircraft carriers.

The president wrote on Truth Social that Meyers was “deranged” and “untalented” and accused him of ranting extensively.

He claimed Meyers’ show was a “ratings DISASTER” and declared that the comedian “has no talent and NBC should fire him IMMEDIATELY.”

Meyers replied that he follows what he called “the New Yorker’s creed,” suggesting it is usually best to ignore those who rant and rave.

He continued by addressing one point directly, saying he was not the one who repeatedly brought up aircraft carriers.

“You’re the one who talks endlessly about catapults on aircraft carriers,” he accused.

Jon Stewart entered the conversation, taking aim at the Saudi Prince’s White House visit.

On his podcast, Stewart’s producer asked what he thought of American tech executives attending the state dinner.

Stewart questioned whether anyone should be surprised, given the funding those companies receive.

He recalled past criticism aimed at him when he spoke with New York City Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani.

Stewart noted that some accused him of forgetting the lessons of 9/11 and shot back with “F*** you to the highest order.”

“[Trump] hosted a LIV Golf tournament in the shadow of the towers with the Saudis and palled around with them. So, again, let me repeat myself, f*** you.”

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