Seth Meyers shares Trump's surprise that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican

Seth Meyers is bemused that Trump thinks Abe Lincoln party affiliation was a secret

(Image credit: Late Night)

published 23 March 2017

President Trump, bogged down in investigations about his campaign's possible ties to Russian intelligence, "is apparently desperate for literally any good news these days," Seth Meyers said on Wednesday's Late Night. So on Tuesday night, Trump brought up old Abraham Lincoln at a National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser, sharing what he believed might be useful trivia. "Trump wants a super PAC to take out an ad to let people know Lincoln was a Republican," Meyers sighed, breaking out his Trump voice. "'In fact, make sure he's wearing one of our hats.' Also, this can only mean one thing: Trump just found out Lincoln was a Republican. Dude, the Republicans literally call it the 'Party of Lincoln.' Did you think they were talking about the car?"

But Trump could be focusing on actual good news, the confirmation hearings for his Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, Meyers said. Instead, he's trying to swat down the Russia allegations and defend his unfounded claim about former President Barack Obama tapping his phones. With FBI Director James Comey publicly shooting down the Obama wiretapping claim, Republicans are urging Trump to apologize to his predecessor and move on. Meyers was skeptical: "It also doesn't hurt normal people to say 'I'm sorry,' but it might kill Trump. I don't even thinks his mouth can make those words."

He ran down the news about the investigation, including the new reports on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, news from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) — "You're supposed to be conducting the investigation, you don't go tell the guy you're investigating," Meyers reminded Nunes — and texting between a Russian election hacker and Trump confidante Roger Stone.

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But Meyers returned to Trump's should-be happy place to close out. The Gorsuch hearing is the "one thing that kept Republicans from abandoning Trump," he said. Meyers played some of the hard-hitting small-talk from GOP senators at the hearing, then put it in context: "Republicans were probably so giddy during the hearings because they knew they were getting away with one of the greatest thefts in modern politics, the stealing of a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court from President Obama. And on top of that they got a conservative nominee who's shared very little about his actual views." He ended with a Lincoln joke. Watch below. 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.

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