Seth Meyers has a message for the first woman president of the United States

Seth Meyers knows it stings for the millions of people who cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton, almost certainly giving her the popular vote, that she is not the first female president of the United States. On Wednesday's Late Night, he offered an optimistic message for whatever woman ultimately earns the title.

"We don't know who you are, but I imagine this moment today will be a defining one for you, one that will make you work harder and strive farther," he said. "Whoever you are, I hope I live to see your inauguration, and I hope my mom does, too." There's also an important, often overlooked plus side of being the first woman president. "First is so much better than second," Meyers said. "That is the difference between George Washington and John Adams — you either end up on money or Paul Giamatti plays you in a movie."

Meyers admitted that his feelings of sadness, anger, and fear are likely the same emotions that Trump supporters felt, and it would be "wrong for me to feel my emotions are somehow more authentic." Now is the time for empathy, Meyers told Trump voters, and he hopes the next president "sincerely addresses your concerns and if you felt forgotten, he won't forget you now." By the same token, Trump and his supporters must also be "compassionate" toward the people who did not vote for him, Meyers said, and for those absolutely terrified by Trump's election, he shared some comforting words: He's been wrong about everything Trump has done over the last 18 months — he never thought he would actually run, he never thought he would win the primary, and he certainly never thought he would win the whole shebang. "Based on this pattern of me being wrong on every one of my Donald Trump predictions, he's going to be a great f—ing president," Meyers said. "Let's just hope this trajectory holds." Watch the video below. Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up