Seth Meyers takes a closer look at Trump's 'bizarre' comments on the Civil War

published 2 May 2017

In recent days, President Trump has made some interesting remarks about, among other things, the Civil War, Andrew Jackson, and how surprisingly difficult it is to be president, and Seth Meyers can't help but poke fun at his "childlike naiveté colliding with reality."

On Monday's Late Night, Meyers showed a montage of pre-election Trump saying multiple times how "easy" it would be to change up health care and create new jobs, followed by Trump's recent revelation that it's actually pretty hard to be president. Speaking to Reuters, Trump said he "loved my previous life," and he "thought it would be easier" to be POTUS. "You thought the presidency would be easier than being a game show host?" Meyers asked. "There's a reason Abraham Lincoln is on the $5 and not Alex Trebek."

Meyers also mocked Trump for going on a "bizarre tangent" earlier Monday regarding Jackson and his "anger" over the Civil War, which didn't take place until 16 years after his death. In an interview on SiriusXM's POTUS channel, Trump declared that "people don't ask that question, but why was there the Civil War?" Oh yes, Meyers said, "no one ever asked why was there a Civil War. And who could forget those searing letters from soldiers on the battlefield? 'Dearest Elizabeth, I write to you from the front lines, where the Civil War rages on for whatever reason. Today, I bayonetted my own brother. 'For what purpose?' he cried out, and I of course, could only respond, 'I do not know. Nobody knows.'" Find out how the "letter" ends in the video below. Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.