Seth Meyers argues that Donald Trump's fake spokesman debacle is too important to laugh off

Donald Trump&#039;s fake spokesman is too important to laugh off, Seth Meyers says

(Image credit: Late Night)

published 17 May 2016

On Friday, The Washington Post released audio of Donald Trump's "spokesman," "John Miller," talking to reporters in 1991. Miller is obviously Trump himself, Seth Meyers noted on Monday's Late Night. But while it's hilarious listening to Trump brag about his girlfriends and wealth, "the saga of Trump's fake spokesman reveals something deep about Trump the man and Trump the candidate."

Trump initially denied that he was John Miller, but "it was so clearly Trump," Meyers said. "The only way 'John Miller' could have been more obviously fake is if he was three 10-year-olds standing on top of each other in a trench coat — in which case, the fake John Miller would've had the same size hands as the real Donald Trump." In fact, in 1991, Trump not only admitted to being John Miller, he apologized — the only fishy detail in the story for Meyers. "So, how have GOP officials responded to this latest embarrassment?" he asked. "Well, by trying to dismiss it."

"But this whole thing is more than just a bizarre anecdote from Trump's past," Meyers argued. "It matters for two reasons: One, it often seems as though Trump can lie freely and without consequences on the campaign trail," he said, noting Trump's 76 percent false statement rating, but the John Miller story is "a clear-cut case where you can hear the audio for yourself and know that Trump is lying. Second, John Miller is a fake persona manufactured by Trump to aggrandize himself in the eyes of the public, which is exactly what he's doing now as a presidential candidate." Watch below to see Meyers make his case, and slip in a Beyoncé reference. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.