Some fans may feel exhausted with all the Donald Trump coverage on late night TV as of late, but David Letterman thinks today’s hosts can go even harder!
In a wide-ranging interview with Vulture, the retired Late Show personality spoke on the “obligation” late night hosts have to criticize politicians, and made it clear he would be handling things differently if he were still in the game.
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The comedian specifically took issue with that infamous Tonight Show moment where Jimmy Fallon tousled Trump’s hair in an appearance during his presidential campaign.
Though Letterman says Fallon got a “fantastic viral clip” out of the wig check, the 69-year-old would have given Trump a much harder time had he been behind the desk.
He explained:
“I don’t want to criticize Jimmy Fallon, but I can only tell you what I would have done in that situation: I would have gone to work on Trump.”
We bet you would, Dave!
Comparing the lovable Saturday Night Live alum to former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, Letterman said late night hosts of today have more of an obligation than creating viral clips for YouTube. He continued:
“The comparison that comes to mind is during the Vietnam War, Johnny Carson had an unstated policy that he would never mention the war. He would talk about the personalities involved, but not the war. His theory was, with the six o’clock news, the last thing people wanted to hear more of was young Americans dying painfully├óΓé¼┬ª [But now,] there is that obligation.”
Letterman admitted he followed the same Carson-esque, non-political model in the beginning of his career, but the late night landscape changed all because Jon Stewart “made it so that not doing political stuff got to be the elephant in the room.”
Video: Jon Wants The Media To Stop ‘Obsessing’ Over Trump!
Of course, Letterman acknowledges some shows give Trump the skewering he deserves. Praising Alec Baldwin for his SNL impression of the predatory POTUS, he said:
“Comedy’s one of the ways that we can protect ourselves. Alec Baldwin deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sadly, he’s not going to get it from this president.”
Though he has his share of critiques, the former late night king admits he doesn’t watch late night TV anymore — and hasn’t even seen Stephen Colbert‘s show.
Given all the Trump commentary Letterman’s successor does on The Late Show, we have a feeling he’d approve.
Do YOU think late night hosts could go harder on Trump?
[Image via CBS/NBC.]
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