"Over the weekend, former President Trump held a rally in Texas where he talked about running for president and said that if he won, he might pardon the Jan. 6 rioters," Jimmy Fallon said on Monday's Tonight Show. "Even the rioters were like, 'Oh, no, I don't think you can say that. No.' Yeah, there's no better way to announce a presidential run than saying: 'I'll empty the jails!'"
Trump said "he will consider pardoning the people charged with participation in the Capitol attack," Seth Meyers said on Late Night. "'In that case, I was there,' said Ghislaine Maxwell."
Seriously, "what a weird platform to run on for president: 'I will pardon violent criminals,'" Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show. "While the Jan. 6 select committee continues to look for the cause of the Capitol riot, the cause admitted to everything and threatened to do it again."
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.
"A bipartisan group of senators is trying to make sure it never happens again," Colbert said, and he had a 7-year-old read Trump's telling response. "He just said the secret words, 'Overturn the election!' That's admitting he tried to stage a violent coup. Johnny, tell the people what he gets!'" You may be disappointed with the answer.
"Donald Trump is the greatest con man of all time," Trevor Noah marveled on The Daily Show. "He could have pardoned all his people when Jan. 6 happened," but "he let them get prosecuted, and now they're all going to jail." And now Trump wants more. "You gotta admit, Trump leans on his supporters really hard," he said. "I mean, first they had to storm the Capitol because he lost the election. Then their donations went to his legal fees, because he's always getting sued. Now they have to protest if he gets charged?" Noah suggested an uncomfortable next step if Trump goes to jail.
Jimmy Kimmel laughed at Trump's assertion New York and Georgia prosecutors are going after his fans. "No, they're after you," he said on Kimmel Live. "You know, personally, if I had gotten away with trying to overthrow democracy, I'd be quiet about it, I'd shut up. But Donald Trump isn't capable of that." He compared Trump's new defense of the Jan. 6 rioters versus his condemnation on Jan. 7. "Now I don't know which Donald Trump to believe!" Kimmel deadpanned.
The Late Show also created its own Spotify playlist in homage to Joe Rogan.
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
