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Video: Seth Meyers Delivers Emotional But Hopeful Response To Trump Win
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 9, 2016
Modified Nov 10, 2016
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 9, 2016
Modified Nov 10, 2016
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On Wednesday night Seth Meyers used ten minutes of his show to talk to viewers about Donald Trump's surprising presidential victory. While he tried to keep things hopeful, he did seem to choke up when talking about his mom's excitement to see a female elected into office, hoping it would still happen in her lifetime.
Meyers went on to say, in part:
I really feel for the parents who had to explain this to their kids this morning, especially parents with daughters, because a lot of them, like me, thought Hillary would be our first woman president, but she won't be. But that does mean someone's daughter is out there right now will have that title. The fact is we don't know who you are, but I imagine this moment today will be a defining moment for you. And whoever you are, I hope I live to see your inauguration.
I felt a lot of emotions last night and into today, some sadness, some anger, some fear. But I'm also aware those are the same emotions some Trump supporters felt... and it would be wrong for me to think my emotions are somehow more authentic than their emotions. We're always better as a society when we have empathy for one another, so I would like to say 'congratulations,' and he sincerely addresses your concerns. As a white man, I also know that any emotions I'm feeling are a fraction of those being felt by the LGBTQ community, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, and any number of immigrant communities so vital to our country. So hopefully the Trump administration and Trump supporters will be compassionate to them, because they need your compassion.
And in general I am hopeful for President Trump because hope is always the best possible path to take. And one thing that makes me hopeful is we know from interviews he's given over the years is that he has held every position on every issue. So I'm hopeful that he's not actually racist, that he's just used racist rhetoric to court voters.
He also extended his previous offer to give Trump a show where he could play a fictional president instead of doing the real job—"C'mon. You didn't think you were going to win this thing either and I'm guessing right now you are spinning out. You're probably looking at a map of the United States and thinking, 'Wait, how long does this wall have to be?!' Not to mention that you are going to have to give Rudy Giuliani a job, and then hang out with him, and I don't have to tell you that he's batshit crazy. Just tell people you have health issues and can't do the job, because for the last year we've only seen you eating out of bowls and buckets, we will believe that."
He closed out congratulating Vladimir Putin, and pledging to Trump that he and his Late Night staff "will be watching" him for the next four years.
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donald trump
seth meyers
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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