Trump refused to appear on Seth Meyers' show unless the comedian apologized to him on-air

Seth Meyers.
(Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

President Trump sure can hold a grudge.

Late Night host Seth Meyers told Politico on Tuesday that Trump wanted him to publicly apologize for his jokes at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner.

Meyers famously poked fun at Trump during his 2011 monologue at the event, calling the idea of Trump in office "a joke" and teasing him about his hair. Four years later, Meyers invited Trump to appear on his show, soon after he had launched his presidential campaign. Ever since the dinner, Trump had occasionally criticized Meyers on Twitter, so the comedian thought an appearance would be a way to finally bury the hatchet.

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But Trump's attorney Michael Cohen made it clear to Meyers that Trump was not ready to forgive Meyers. Cohen reportedly demanded that Meyers go on-air and apologize for making fun of Trump. Meyers told Politico that Cohen was negotiating Trump's explicit demands, and that the need for an apology was non-negotiable. Meyers declined, and Trump never made a 2015 appearance on his show. Read more at Politico.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.