Late night hosts are very excited about a Trump mute button, doubt it will fix the final debate
"The final presidential debate is just a few days away, and the organizers are trying to make sure it goes smoother than the first one," Jimmy Fallon said on Tuesday's Tonight Show. He wasn't convinced a mute button would tame President Trump, though. "If you mute Trump's mic, he'll just run across the stage and yell into Biden's," he said. So "it goes mute button, water spritzer, then lowering the podium into a hole in the ground," and if none of those work, the interrupter should get the helium voice. He demonstrated how that would work.
The Late Show celebrated the Trump mute button, and suggested a slime chute, in a reworded Simon & Garfunkel song.
The mute button is needed because "at the last debate, Trump interrupted Biden and Chris Wallace — and this is true — 128 times," The Late Show's Stephen Colbert noted. "While we're at it, how about a fast-forward button, just zip straight to Nov. 3? Now, this mute button won't be operational for the entire debate," just during two-minute answer periods, and to stop Trump from walking over to Biden's microphone, "the debate commission is also putting him on a child leash."
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.
"The Trump campaign is not happy," Colbert said, "but ultimately, the mute button might play into Trump's new strategy" — or at least the one favored by his coaches — of not interrupting Biden, trying "to be more likable," telling jokes, emanating warmth, and also attacking Biden's son Hunter.
"Muting the mics, it's the same strategy my daughter's teacher uses for Zoom kindergarten," Jimmy Kimmel said on Kimmel Live. "Would a mute button even work on Donald Trump? I feel like if you turn off his microphone, he'll just pull another one out of his hair or something. Emperor Palpa-tan is very hot about the mics, he phoned into Fox & Friends this morning to lash out at the debate commission. This is what he does: Before every debate, every election, every interview even, he announces that they're plotting against him. ... How many months after he loses do you think Fox & Friends just stops taking his calls?"
"The debate commission says six topics will be covered on Thursday night — it's cute that they think topics will be covered," Kimmel said, and Trump's strategy this time is to appear nice, "try to be funny, and he's hoping a fly lands on Joe Biden's head." Watch 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.
-
'His disdain for international rules could eviscerate the laws of war'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Getty Images and Shutterstock merge into a picture powerhouse to combat AI
The Explainer The $3.7 billion deal is one of the largest in the industry's history
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
House GOP unveils bill for Trump to buy Greenland
Speed Read The bill would allow the U.S. to purchase the Danish territory — or procure it through economic or military force
By Rafi Schwartz, 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