While refusing to attend the inauguration and, instead, slinking out of town rather than following a long-standing tradition of greeting his successor at the White House, Donald Trump recorded a final farewell message that was the target of Seth Meyer‘s white hot scrutiny on Tuesday. The Late Night host tore into Trump’s video message that continued the outgoing president’s commitment to living in an “unhinged fantasy world” that’s caused untold damage to the country including the growing death toll from the pandemic, which has now claimed over 400,000 lives. Firing with both barrels right out of the gate, Meyers didn’t even let Trump get away with uttering the words, “My fellow Americans.” Via The Hollywood Reporter:
“You don’t get to do that. You don’t want to do any of the hard parts of leaving gracefully and admitting you lost and attending your successor’s inauguration, but you want us to watch a 20 minute farewell speech which I am certain you’re reading for the first time like a tourist reading a menu in a foreign language.”
Meyers then tore apart Trump’s attempt to paint his four years in office as a success. Trump claimed he rebuilt America and renewed its spirits, and Meyers was having none of it. “Are you insane? You left the nation in ruins. What did you come here to do, wreck the economy, spread disease and take selfies with cans of beans where you smile like you just ate ice cream with a cavity?”
You can watch Meyers disassemble Trump’s farewell message above.