Trump Makes Explicit Comments About the Iran War During Fox News Interview

[00:00:00] Seth Meyers: -Good evening, everybody. I'm Seth Meyers. This is "Late Night." We hope you're doing well. And now, if you don't mind, we're going to get to the news. During an interview today with Fox News, President Trump said that he is planning to, quote, "beat the out of Iran." Hey! You can't use that kind of language on Fox News. What if someone under the age of 60 was watching? During his eulogy yesterday at Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral, President Trump said that virtually everyone in both political parties liked Graham and added, quote, "Well, not everybody." Amazing. The one time where it's perfectly acceptable to lie a little bit and he decides to tell the truth. Lindsey, a lot of people didn't like him, but at least he was bad at golf. In an interview yesterday on "Fox & Friends," President Trump said that the late Senator Lindsey Graham was, quote, "like a member of the family," in a sense, except that he liked him and spent time with him and never mind about the family thing. In the same interview, President Trump said that he wants to avoid bombing Iran's infrastructure and added, quote, "It takes a long time to rebuild and build bridges. That is what I used to do for a living -- construction." Oh, you did? Why didn't you say something? Is that why you used to wear a hard hat all the time? I assumed it was just because your fontanelle never closed. In a letter to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and his staff, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, said that McConnell should resign if he cannot, quote, "directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky." And the answer from McConnell was a firm "no." During a rally on Monday at a General Motors facility, President Trump called for the end of Daylight Savings Time, because it's really messing him up. During the same rally, President Trump said that cities run by Democratic politicians are always dirty and added, quote, "I'm sort of a clean freak. I like clean." Really? Then why does your pool look like something that would give an X-man his powers? It's like they were out of chlorine, so you settled for monster energy. Trump also said that controlling fuel prices is, quote, "like playing banjo," because he doesn't know how to do that either. A Mega Millions ticket holder in Florida yesterday won the $800 million jackpot. And if I know Florida, they're going to use the money to buy $800 million more tickets. And finally, the toy company Hasbro recently partnered with a San Diego restaurant to open an immersive café based on the classic board game Candyland. Or if you prefer the game Risk, you can go to Taco Bell. And that was a monologue, everybody. We've got a great trophy tonight. She's a fantastic actress. You know from promising young woman, maestro, and an education she stars in and executive produces the second season of "Beef" currently streaming on Netflix. Carrie Mulligan is back on the show, everybody. And she is a very funny comedian and actress you've seen in "Overcompensating," as well as her podcast "Ride" with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone. Her latest comedy special, "Galaxy Brain" is streaming now on Netflix. Our friend Mary Beth Barone is back on the show. Her special is great. Can't wait to talk to her about that. Before we get to all of our guests, the president was heckled at a rally a few days after bombing at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. And now even Fox News is asking questions about the war in Iran. For more on this, it's time for "A Closer Look." The president got a rough reception at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last week, as even the crickets in attendance sat quietly, wondering when the jokes were going to start. Trump bombed harder than I did at my first open mic night. In fairness, that's when I was still doing a ventriloquist act with my Mitch McConnell dummy. Mitch, tell everyone what your favorite hobby is. Being alive. That's right. Mitch loves being alive so much that every nine days, he proves he still is. Show him today's paper, Mitch. It wasn't even when he was telling jokes that things were going badly for Trump. He also had to sit there while reporters for "The Wall Street Journal" won an award for their story on Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. [00:04:29] Speaker 2: -The journal's courageous reporting on President Trump's past relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein triggered the release of the so-called Epstein files, thousands of documents that might otherwise have remained hidden from the public. And despite the president's threat of a lawsuit, the journal published a story about a provocative letter to Epstein bearing President Trump's signature. [00:04:54] Seth Meyers: -That's how bad Trump's jokes were? The clip we just showed was the funniest thing to happen all night. -Also, this award was presented before Trump had to go up and do his jokes. And as a comedian, I can tell you that's not ideal. When you're about to go on stage, you want the emcee to say something positive, like, "You know him from his hit and FX special," or, "He's performed on The Tonight Show," not, "You've seen his name all over the Epstein files." In fact, one of the few laughs Trump did get during his speech came when he complained about the award. [00:05:22] Speaker 3: -Wow, that was very beautiful, but this has not been an easy evening, all these awards. Do I have a say in those awards or those awards? [00:05:33] Seth Meyers: -No, you don't get a say on the awards. Otherwise, we know who they would all go to -- you. And the winner for "Closest Ties to Jeffrey Epstein" is -- oh, well, he's having quite a night. It's Donald Trump again. Oh, my God, I can't believe it. Another one, another epi. Thanks to Jeffrey, wherever you are, though, let's be honest, it's probably hell. I can say that. He was my friend. -So the night did not go well for Trump, which is why he retreated to the safety and comfort of one of his MAGA rallies. At the Correspondents' Dinner, his weird cult-like digressions were met with icy silence, but at his rally, he could at least count on some mild applause when he said weird like this. [00:06:14] Speaker 3: -The people that count, those people love Trump. Because I've done more for you than your parents, okay? Your parents are good. I'm not going to knock your parents, but I have been better to you than your parents. That I can tell you. And they would agree with me. [00:06:32] Seth Meyers: -Yeah, my parents would definitely agree. I mean, if Trump wasn't around and I had to do a closer look about my parents every night, this show would suck. And that's when I said, "Yeah, Dad. I know you have a crush on the lady from Yellowstone. Everyone knows!" Seriously, if you're going to say something as cult-leader-coded as I've done more for you than your parents, at least dress the part. Give us the Jim Jones haircut and glasses. Trump said a lot of weird stuff at his rally and was clearly thrilled to be back in his element among his fellow weirdos, like his transportation secretary, Sean Duffy. [00:07:04] Speaker 3: -This is a great gentleman, heads-up transportation. He's also world championship tree climber, five-time champion tree climber. Can you imagine? I only hired these crazy people that do things like that. He was the lumberjack. He was the world champion going up a tree 100 feet, right? That's high. I saw an old picture of you doing it. I said, "He's crazy. That's why I like him." [00:07:29] Seth Meyers: -That's right. The secretary of transportation used to be a competitive tree climber, the absolute slowest and worst mode of transportation. So, next time you're on a highway full of potholes or an Amtrak that's late, just remember, the guy in charge doesn't care that much because he can always just hop from redwood to redwood. In fact, because this rally was theoretically supposed to address auto workers in Michigan, Trump tried to talk about transportation, but, as always, he did it in the weirdest way possible. [00:08:00] Speaker 3: -I had a wonderful father, right? And he was a hard worker. He was in the real estate business. And for him, super luxury. This is the only way -- He didn't want planes. They didn't have planes in those days, I don't think. [00:08:12] Seth Meyers: -Yeah. They didn't have planes back then. You have to remember, this was in the 1800s when Trump's father was born. He was best friends with Grover Cleveland and John D. Rockefeller. And wait, what the am I talking about? Trump's father died in 1999. I'm pretty sure they invented planes before Season 3 of "Sex in the City." If not, there definitely would have been an episode where Samantha had a three-way with the Wright brothers. Sometime, there are two Mr. Wrights. Is that so wrong? Not a bad Samantha. Not a lot of places to use it, but not a bad one. Now, it's important to remember that Trump's ideas about the history of transportation are all over the place. Remember, this is a guy who once claimed there were airports during the Revolutionary War. [00:08:58] Speaker 3: -The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware, and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our Army manned the airport. It ran the ramparts. It took over the airports. It did everything it had to do. [00:09:21] Seth Meyers: Yeah, we all remember the famous Battle of LaGuardia, where Washington and his men crossed from Terminal A to Terminal B and surprised the British Army that was camped out at the Shake Shack. So you think there were airports in the 1700s, but no planes until after your father died in 1999? Yeah, back then, there were no planes. It was just Cinnabon and Hudson News. And the soldiers couldn't text their wives because their phones died, and it was hard to find an outlet. I like -- I like how he was moving his head during that speech. Over the railmine and the airport. So, Trump needed a reset after the White House Correspondents' Dinner and thought he was escaping into the comfort of his MAGA bubble. But once again, reality interfered when the president got heckled. [00:10:12] Speaker 3: It was causing tremendous problems for your jobs. But now, all of that is changing because I placed historic tariffs on foreign producers and manufacturers, including a 25 percent tariff on foreign automobiles, something that no other president had the courage to ever do. "He's a communist. He's a communist." [00:10:42] Seth Meyers: Man, if that heckler keeps it up, Trump might have to sit there while he wins an award. Also, if someone calls you a pedophile protector, calling them a communist is not a great comeback. "You're covering up for sex traffickers." "Oh, yeah? Well, you want the workers to own the means of production, so you're burnt." Trump just can't get away from this Epstein thing. It's at his rallies, press conferences, the Correspondents' Dinner. You know the new Trump coin they're releasing? He okayed it before flipping it over and checking the other side. "Son of a gun." So Trump -- "Who's doing? Somebody just told me they're two sides." So Trump bombed at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and got heckled at his rally in Michigan. I have to assume things went more smoothly at the funeral for his friend Lindsey Graham, right? [00:11:32] Speaker 4: President Trump appearing to doze off during Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral at Washington National Cathedral. [00:11:37] Speaker 5: Some commenters say President Trump appeared to doze off while listening to another eulogy. [00:11:43] Speaker 6: Trump returned to his seat at various points, struggled to keep his eyes open for the remainder of the ceremony. [00:11:50] Speaker 7: There's a lot of times it's easy. It's easier to bow out. It's easier just to go a different way, the path of least resistance. But he stayed the course. [00:12:01] Seth Meyers: Look, I don't know if he nodded off or not, but he definitely looks like he's fighting sleep hard. He looks like me after I've had three white claws at the beach. And look, I get that running the country is an exhausting job, but you're not sleeping enough, bro. You need to get eight hours instead of reposting "AI Slap" at 3:00 a.m. What can we do to keep you awake? Should we have that heckler follow you around just to wake you up whenever your eyes close? [00:12:24] Speaker 8: -I think you deserve tremendous credit for the transformational aspect of foreign policy for the first time. [00:12:31] Seth Meyers: -Trump also seemed to miss some important information, like when his friend Sean Hannity got up and refuted some common mischaracterizations of Graham's legacy. [00:12:41] Speaker 9: -Lindsey, he was often unfairly characterized as a warmonger. I've heard that false criticism a lot. It's not true. The truth was the opposite. [00:12:53] Seth Meyers: -Yeah, I don't know where people get this idea that Lindsey Graham was a warmonger, that he loved war, that he never saw a war he didn't like. It's ludicrous and offensive, and it's certainly not something the president would say at this exact same funeral. [00:13:05] Speaker 3: -He was extremely hawkish. I will tell you, he never saw a war that he didn't like. [00:13:09] Seth Meyers: -It was literally less than 20 minutes before Hannity spoke. So when Hannity said, "I've heard that false criticism a lot," he meant 18 minutes ago at this podium from the President of the United States. People call Lindsey a warmonger. It's not true. They say he wanted to take over the airports during the Revolutionary War. It's ridiculous. They didn't have planes before 1999. Paul Revere spotted the British by climbing a tree. Of course, the war Graham very much liked was the war in Iran, which the president has either stopped or started or paused or unpaused or restarted or claimed is over more times than he's fallen asleep on television. And again, this week, he claimed Iran was begging him to make a deal. [00:13:51] Speaker 5: -Iran took a beating over the last 14 days, and they asked us very nicely, "Please stop. Let's meet." And that's where we are right now. [00:14:01] Seth Meyers: -Of all the conversations that never happened, that one is the most that never happened. Iran called you up and said, "Please stop." Are you talking about a country you're at war with or your neighbor during a house party? Yeah, Terry called me up and said, "Please stop blasting Steely Dan." I said, "Sorry. No can do. It's only 3:00 a.m. Party's just getting started." So he called me a pedophile protector and hung up. "Communist." But you heard the president. Iran called and said, "Please stop. Let's meet." And that is exactly what happened. [00:14:32] Speaker 4: -We have video just in of air defense crews targeting incoming fire from Iran. A statement from Central Command says it happened a bit more than two hours ago. Multiple ballistic missiles aimed, CENTCOM says, at U.S. forces in the Middle East. [00:14:47] Speaker 10: -U.S. Central Command says that, along with Saudi forces, it retaliated with strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq. [00:14:55] Seth Meyers: -What? So now this war involves Saudi Arabia and Iraq? I thought Iran called you and said, "Please stop," not, "Keep the party going and invite all my neighbors." I should have known Trump was lying. He also said Iran doesn't have... -Planes. Trump's claim that Iran had asked to stop the war and make a deal was obviously not true. And even Fox News was confused. [00:15:18] Speaker 8: -We hear that you're talking right now with leaders on Iran, but Iran has come out publicly and said, "We're not talking to the U.S. We're going to pause as long as they're part." [00:15:26] Speaker 11: -Well, they just came out and said, "We are talking" a little while ago, because it always bothers me. -So could you tell me who you're talking to, Mr. President? -For some reason, for some reason, we can be in the midst of a beautiful discussion, and they'll come out and say, "We're not talking," or, "We didn't discuss nuclear." Well, that's all we discussed, because they'll never have a nuclear weapon. They understand that. And we have had some very good talks. [00:15:48] Seth Meyers: -I mean, at this point, when Fox News asks, "Could you tell me who you're talking to," they might just mean them. "Mr. President, do you recognize my voice? It's your friend Brian. You doing okay, bud?" Even the president's biggest supporters are asking him where he's getting his information. This is like when your 80-year-old grandpa tells you he just opened a new account at a bank you've never heard of. "A nice lady called and said, 'If I give her my Social Security number, I can win a free cruise.'" "Grandpa, wait, what nice lady?" "From the bank." "What bank, grandpa?" "It's called the Bank of Iran. We had a nice phone call." "Grandpa, who are you talking to?" "You should be nice to me. I've done more for you than your parents." Not only are we mired in exactly the kind of war Trump promised to keep us out of, but now it seems like there's no end in sight. Meanwhile, prices for everything are soaring, especially for food. But don't worry. If you can't afford apples or bananas from the grocery store, you can just become a... -World championship tree climber. -This has been "A Closer Look." -Good luck. -Good luck.