Late night hosts can't believe Trump's Ukraine 'henchmen' left a 'literal paper trail' of impeachment evidence
The House voted Wednesday to send its articles of impeachment to the Senate, setting up the trial of President Donald J. Trump. The Late Show recreated the formal handover ceremony.
The reality of walking the articles of the impeachment to the Senate was much more pedestrian, but this is still "an historic day," Stephen Colbert said in Wednesday's monologue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn't have the votes to avert a trial, and "one person that the Senate might want to hear from" is Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's dirt-digging Ukraine fixer, he said, running through the "trove of ridiculously incriminating impeachment evidence" Parnas released through the House Intelligence Committee.
"The most damning evidence" includes "a series of handwritten notes by Parnas on stationery from the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Vienna," and a letter from Giuliani to Ukraine's president-elect explaining that "Trump knew and approved of what Giuliani was doing," using "two words not generally associated with President Trump: knowledge and consent," Colbert said. "You don't write the crime down, you dummy!"
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.
Yes, "Trump will become the first former steak salesman to be tried for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress," Jimmy Kimmel said on Kimmel Live, but "Mitch McConnell won't even commit to questioning witnesses or admitting new evidence," despite the new Parnas "bombshells," documentary and in interviews with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. He read some bizarre, ominous-sounding texts Parnas released, adding sarcastically: "Ah yeah, nothing to investigate there, Sen. McConnell."
The "new evidence about Trump and his shady dealings with Ukraine" is pretty mind-boggling, Trevor Noah said at The Daily Show. "Seriously, they wrote down the plot of their crime and then kept it? That is a literal paper trail. ... Only Donald Trump would hire henchmen who are also into scrapbooking." So "we'll see how many senators decide they're interested in hearing more evidence, but at least for Nancy Pelosi, her job is now done," he said, though Pelosi "seemed a little spaced-out" in her press conference, like maybe her "edibles just kicked in at the wrong moment."
Late Night's Seth Meyers took a deeper dive into the "damning new evidence" about "Trump's henchmen," noting that "it's well-established these guys worked directly for Trump in his scheme to get Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election by digging up dirt on Joe Biden." He wasn't impressed with the caliber of Trump's "meathead goon" help, either: "Trump's like a mall Santa for wannabe goodfellas," except "these guys are a lot dumber than the criminals on TV." Peter Weber
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
South Korea passes law banning sale and production of dog meat
Speed Read Rare bipartisan support 'highlights changing attitudes' as young people shun centuries-old tradition
By The Week UK Published
-
Out of touch: Daryl Hall obtains restraining order against bandmate John Oates
Speed Read Lawsuit reveals unharmonious relationship between most commercially successful duo in pop history
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published