Trump found a new late-night target — and the FCC chair is cheering him on

You would think he would have his hands full with the economy and health care and immigration, or even those pesky Epstein files. Heck, picking out the paint for his $300 million ballroom seems like it should be on his daily to-do list.

But President Donald Trump has found something else to take up some bandwidth: jokes made by late-night talk-show hosts.

Trump has complained about pretty much every late-night host at one time or another, particularly CBS’s Stephen Colbert and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel. Now he has turned his ire towards another. This time it’s NBC’s Seth Meyers.

Over the weekend, Trump took to his Truth Social and wrote, “NBC’s Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a Ratings DISASTER. Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!”

OK, so it’s one thing to have Trump complain about a comedian or talk-show host. It seems as if he spends half his time whining about someone or something.

But here’s what is notable about his bellyaching about Meyers: Someone prominent joined him. A screenshot of Trump’s rant about Meyers was posted on X by Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.

This isn’t the first time Trump and Carr have gone after a late-night host. Kimmel was suspended by Disney in mid-September, almost immediately after Carr criticized Kimmel on a podcast for something the comedian said in his monologue about the late Charlie Kirk. Carr essentially called for Kimmel’s show to be taken off the air, saying, “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Many Kimmel supporters drew a line from Carr’s comments to Kimmel’s suspension as a form of government censorship. Now comes Carr seemingly endorsing Trump’s comments about Meyers by reposting the president’s Truth Social post.

Trump going after Meyers, who regularly blasts the president on his late-night show, is nothing new for Trump. But it is troublesome that the head of what is supposed to be a nonpartisan government agency is acting like a TV critic and endorsing criticism coming from the White House.

As NPR’s Elizabeth Blair noted, “While the FCC can fine broadcasters for indecency, it has limited authority over content. According to its website, ‘The limitations on the FCC's power to restrict or ban speech begin with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which decrees that the federal government 'shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.’”

Media Matters’ Matt Gertz points out another disconcerting part of all this when he tweeted, “Subtext: NBC’s parent company would like to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, Brendan Carr will play a role in determining whether they would be permitted to do so.”

Jessica J. González — co-CEO of the advocacy group Free Press — said in a statement, “Bullies like Carr and Trump won’t stop trying to silence dissenting voices in the media unless more people stand up to them, in both courts of law and public opinion. This time it’s Seth Meyers; the next time it might be someone who isn’t rich and famous, who doesn’t have a late-night perch from which to defend themselves. Time after time we see that capitulation to the administration doesn’t work, but when we stand up to the bullies, we can win. Free Press urges Comcast/NBCUniversal to reject this brazen attack on free speech.”

Finally, check out this piece from The Atlantic’s Gilad Edelman: “The ‘Easy Way’ to Crush the Mainstream Media.”

Edelman wrote, “Conservatives have been complaining about media bias for decades, but Republican officials were long averse to interfering with the decisions of private companies. Then came the second Trump administration, and its willingness to wage cultural warfare in more intrusive ways. Carr’s role in that effort is not to tell networks what to air and whom to fire. It’s to get to the point where he doesn’t have to.”

Edelman does a superb job of showing how Carr and the FCC can influence decisions made by networks and the companies that own them.

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Sinclair’s big plans

In an effort to push a takeover deal, Sinclair Broadcasting purchased an 8% stake — about $15.6 million — of E.W. Scripps’ stock on Monday.

My Poynter colleague, Al Tompkins, wrote, “While it is not the typical first move in a media merger, the purchase comes at a pivotal time. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to decide soon whether to relax rules that limit how many television stations one company could own. A change in those rules would allow suitors to make these kinds of mega-takeovers.”

If this happens, it would be a mega merger. As The Wall Street Journal’s Lauren Thomas and Joe Flint wrote, “Sinclair has a market value of about $1.1 billion and is one of the country’s largest owners of local TV stations, with 178 stations affiliated with major broadcasters such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW across over 80 markets.”

They also wrote, “Scripps, with a market value of around $270 million, has over 60 local TV stations spanning more than 40 markets.”

Scripps put out a statement that Tompkins described as “tepid,” and he added that it “sounded more like a defense against a takeover than an invitation to merge.”

Scripps said in its statement: “The company’s board has and will continue to evaluate any transactions and other alternatives that would enhance the value of the company and would be in the best interest of all company shareholders. Likewise, the board will take all steps appropriate to protect the company and the company’s shareholders from the opportunistic actions of Sinclair or anyone else.”

Check out Tompkins’ story for much more background and details.

Gaslighting that won’t work

When it comes to various hot-button issues in our country, political leaders will often try to set the narrative by making blanket statements that aren’t necessarily backed by facts.

You’ll hear President Donald Trump and many in his administration say things like “crime is up” and that “illegals” are pouring across the border. That kind of messaging often works because many people don’t know all the statistics and are unlikely to be personally impacted.

However, one message that isn’t connecting with the general population: “prices are down.” Many news and political programs — including a recent episode of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” — are quick to point out that people cannot be fooled when it comes to the economy. They know how much they make, and they know how much they are spending at the grocery store.

Maher said on a recent episode, “Prices are higher. You can Baghdad Bob your way out of that just so long. People know how much money they have and how much they are spending. That’s the one thing you really can’t lie about.”

Even Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says you can’t gaslight people when it comes to their everyday finances.

And, lately, Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett has been making the rounds on TV, only to get pushback from news hosts.

Earlier this month, Trump claimed that the standard price of a Thanksgiving meal is down 25%, according to Walmart. NBC News pointed out that, technically, Trump is right when he says Walmart’s Thanksgiving package is down 25% in cost. However, there are major caveats.

NBC News wrote, “This year’s package, at less than $40, contains 23 items; last year, there were 29. The missing items this year include onions, celery, sweet potatoes, chicken broth, poultry seasoning, muffin mix, marshmallows, whipped topping and pecan pie.” Louis Jacobson of Poynter’s PolitiFact also noted that some items in the package were downsized for 2025.

Hassett tried to sneak the narrative that prices are down by using the Thanksgiving story on ABC’s “This Week,” but moderator Jonathan Karl wasn’t having it.

Karl asked Hassett, “So, the president claims that Thanksgiving costs are down 25%. I mean, does he know that’s not true?”

Hassett started to answer by saying, “Well, if you look at Walmart and the few places that put out their prices …”

But Karl cut him off, “Now, but wait a minute, wait a minute, I’ve gotta stop you, cause the Walmart comparison is not a — I mean, Walmart had a Thanksgiving package last year. They’ve got a Thanksgiving package this year. The one this year contains much less than what the one last year — that’s why the price is less. Look, we’ve got a chart here!”

It’s usually at this point that Hassett and others then pivot to blaming the economy on Joe Biden’s administration.

Hassett also appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday, where host Joe Kernen pushed Hassett on the fact that prices are not falling.

Mediaite’s David Gilmour has the entire exchange here.

Defending Tucker

Trump defended former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for recently interviewing white nationalist Nick Fuentes for his podcast. As The Washington Post’s Amy B Wang noted, “Fuentes, whose followers call themselves ‘groypers,’ openly espouses antisemitic conspiracy theories and once called Adolf Hitler ‘awesome.’”

Trump told reporters Sunday night, “We’ve had some great interviews with Tucker Carlson, but you can’t tell him who to interview. I mean, if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I don’t know much about him, but if he wants to do it, get the word out, let him. You know, people have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide.”

The New York Times’ Chris Cameron wrote, “Mr. Trump’s defense of Mr. Carlson did not address Mr. Fuentes’s racist views, or Mr. Carlson’s expressions of sympathy for some of his positions. But the president’s remarks threw the right-wing influencer a lifeline weeks after prominent Republican lawmakers, Jewish organizations and conservative influencers denounced him for the podcast.”

Carlson had Fuentes on his podcast last month, and many conservatives were quick to denounce it. However, there were exceptions. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, said he “abhors” many of the things Fuentes said, but he defended Carlson having Fuentes on his podcast. The Heritage Foundation might be best known for Project 2025, which includes many of the ideas that Trump is trying to implement in his second term. (One Heritage board member has resigned over the organization’s defense of Carlson.)

The Anti-Defamation League put out a statement that said, “For years, we have catalogued Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes’ antisemitic rhetoric and admonished those who would seek to legitimize them. And we deeply appreciate those who have rejected Heritage’s shocking and indefensible defense of this hate — especially conservatives who have spoken out forcefully and unequivocally. This is how we will stop the normalization of antisemitism. Because let’s be clear: When it comes to Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, it may start with claims of patriotism, but it always seems to end with antisemitism.”

While conservatives and MAGA types debated Carlson inviting Fuentes onto his podcast, the White House had mostly stayed out of the fray. That is, until Trump weighed in Sunday night.

By the way, just in case you had forgotten or didn’t know, Mediaite’s Alex Griffing has “Nick Fuentes’s 6 Most Hateful, Disturbing Moments.”

Media tidbits

• NPR’s David Folkenflik with “CPB agrees to revive a $36 million deal with NPR killed after Trump's pressure.”
• Vanity Fair has published an excerpt from journalist Olivia Nuzzi’s upcoming book, “American Canto.”
• Semafor’s Ben Smith with “An unpublished profile raises questions about Epstein — and journalism.”
• And here’s the Miami Herald’s Ben Wieder with “Jeffrey’s journalists: Epstein emails reveal cozy relationship with two reporters.”
• The Hollywood Reporter’s Julian Sancton talks to six high-profile podcasters — Ben Shapiro, Jon Favreau, Dax Shepard, Keith Morrison, Ashley Flowers and Mel Robbins — for “The THR Roundtable: America’s Top Podcasters Like You’ve Never Heard Them.”
• As I mentioned in Monday’s newsletter, Poynter honored the legendary Jane Pauley with the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism on Saturday. My Poynter colleague Amaris Castillo has more about Pauley in “For Jane Pauley, success has always meant finding the courage to keep saying yes.”
• And here’s Poynter’s Angela Fu with “What happened to the Dart Center at Columbia?”

Hot type

• The New York Times’ Jenna Russell with “A Councilwoman Intervened During an ICE Arrest. Then She Faced the Voters.”

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Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].

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