Trevor Noah and Seth Meyers dissect the Stephen Bannon interview, 'Billy Bush weekend'
Stephen Bannon's interview with 60 Minutes finally aired on Sunday, and the late-night reviews started coming in on Monday. "During his time with Trump, Bannon operated from the shadows," Trevor Noah said on The Daily Show. And after Sunday's interview, "everyone immediately said, 'Okay, this motherf---er should have stayed in the shadows." The interview itself "wasn't particularly eye-opening," Noah said. "Mostly, he just willingly confirmed that he is who we thought he was" and proved "how all-in" he is regarding his former boss. "If Donald Trump ever kills someone," he joked, "Bannon will be the guy driving the white supremacist Bronco."
Bannon talked about how Trump's salacious Access Hollywood tape was a "litmus test" that Chris Christie failed, and Charlie Rose adopted Bannon's euphemism for the scandal. "Billy Bush weekend?" Noah protested. "You can't name something after someone who happened to be there. That's like rebranding the JFK assassination 'Motorcade Driver's Bad Day.' You could describe it that way, but that's not why it's famous."
Bannon also shared his anti-immigrant view of American history, and Noah noticed one ingredient he left out of his "economic nationalism" cake: slavery. "You see what happened there, my friends?" he asked. "They took down the statues, and Steve Bannon forgot the history." But while Bannon held his own, Rose did get under his skin, Noah said, playing Bannon's not-so-subtle tell. The Daily Show took that tic and turned it into something ... special.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
On Late Night, Seth Meyers also took note of the Access Hollywood tape euphemism: "Why do they keep saying 'Billy Bush weekend'? It's not a holiday." He imagined if it were. Meyers also took issue with the idea that after cutting a deal with Democrats, Trump is suddenly some sort of political independent. The GOP is now firmly the party of Trump and Bannon, he said, and Hillary Clinton warned everyone last year about the secret ingredient: white nationalist resentment. Bannon "slithered out from under his rock" to make an "absurd" critique of Clinton's alt-right speech, Meyers added, playing a clip. "Of course Hillary Clinton is smarter than Donald Trump. She's a graduate of Yale Law, a former senator and secretary of state. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure Trump thinks Frederick Douglass was in Boys II Men."
You can watch the rest of Meyers' "Closer Look," heavy on Hurricane Irma, below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
The best homes of the year
Feature Featuring a grand turret entrance in New York and built-in glass elevator in Arizona
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nordstrom family, investor to take retail chain private
Speed Read The business will be acquired by members of the family and El Puerto de Liverpool, a Mexican real estate company
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden commutes most federal death sentences
Speed Read The president downgraded the punishment of 37 of 40 prisoners on death row to life in prison without parole
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published