NBC’s decision to keep comedian Seth Meyers on the air through 2028 has become the focal point of an intensifying clash with President Donald Trump, who is now calling for the host’s termination and threatening to revoke the network’s broadcast license.
The network extended Meyers’ contract in May 2024, a business decision that more than a year later ignited a presidential firestorm when Trump unleashed a tirade on Truth Social around 2 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2025, characterizing the renewal as a “sick rumor” despite its accuracy.
“I don’t know, but I’ll definitely be finding out!!!” Trump wrote after labeling Meyers “one of the least talented Late Night television hosts” with “no ratings, talent, or intelligence” and the demeanor of “an insecure child.”
Federal Regulators Drawn Into the Dispute
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr publicly amplified the president’s demand that NBC and its corporate owner, Comcast, dismiss Meyers, while another commissioner on the same agency condemned Trump’s licensing threats as violations of constitutional protections.
By November 2025, Trump issued a direct demand that NBC and Comcast terminate the comedian “immediately” while reviving proposals to strip NBC and ABC of their broadcast authorizations altogether. Carr’s decision to repost the president’s call appeared to signal support, but a colleague at the commission pushed back, arguing that wielding licensing authority to punish content would be unconstitutional.
The White House has issued no announcement of any official inquiry into NBCUniversal, leaving the legal basis for presidential intervention in employment contracts uncertain. The licensing threats face substantial constitutional obstacles, including resistance from regulators themselves.
Meyers’ Satirical Coverage Fuels Presidential Ire
The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member uses his “A Closer Look” segment to dissect White House actions, including commentary on Trump’s tariff policies, his efforts to bring Washington, D.C., under federal control, and his involvement with the Kennedy Center. Throughout the summer, Meyers devoted multiple editions of the segment to the president, broadcasting installments on July 17, 24, 28 and 31, with the final episode ridiculing Trump’s historic lows in public approval.
Trump has complained he “got stuck watching Marble Mouth Meyers the other night, the first time in months” in a 2025 post where he called the host a “moron.” The president has characterized “Late Night with Seth Meyers” not as comedy but as a politically motivated effort targeting his administration.
As of April 2026, the program was attracting 1 million viewers, though its influence expands significantly through digital platforms. The show reached its 10-year anniversary in 2024, marking the occasion with an appearance by then-President Joe Biden. During a 2025 interview on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, Meyers acknowledged his concerns had evolved from questions about his own abilities to doubts about whether the late-night format itself could survive.
Broader Campaign Against Broadcast Networks
The conflict over Meyers fits within a wider offensive Trump has waged against major television networks since before his return to office. He accused broadcasters of tilting their 2024 election coverage to favor Democrats and has maintained that posture throughout his second administration.
In August 2025, Trump questioned why ABC and NBC were not remitting what he termed license fees for their use of the public spectrum, suggesting networks should either forfeit their licenses over alleged bias against Republicans and conservatives or pay steep financial penalties. The posts represented a broad-based challenge to commercial broadcasting.
Industry Turbulence and Colbert’s Cancellation
Trump’s hostility toward late-night programming has unfolded alongside genuine turmoil in the industry. CBS ended “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, a move the president cheered while proposing that ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel should follow suit.
At NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation in May 2026, Meyers attacked CBS as “so in the pocket for Trump,” a comment delivered as the competing network canceled its flagship late-night program and as CBS’s parent company faced scrutiny over a settlement with the president. The host’s public worries about the genre’s future mirror widespread industry unease.
The dispute now encompasses contract renewals, audience measurement, regulatory power and nightly comedy segments simultaneously. Whether Trump’s threats translate into enforceable action or remain rhetorical remains undetermined.
