Seth Meyers scolds Biden for not taking Trump threat seriously enough after debate: ‘Incredibly high’ stakes
'If you think this is serious, you need to act like it’s serious,' Meyers said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Liberal late-night host Seth Meyers scolded President Biden on Monday for appearing not to take his own poor debate performance seriously enough.
Meyers, the host of NBC’s "Late Night," took Biden to task Monday night for how he’s tried to assure Americans he’s fit to run for office after last month’s debate. Meyers particularly hammered the president for a statement he gave during his post-debate interview with ABC News.
Biden told George Stephanopoulos last week that he would be satisfied with the election results, even if he lost, as long as "I gave it my all."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"No!" Meyers exclaimed after playing the clip, adding, "Giving it your all is what salsa lessons at a retirement home is all about."
NBC late-night host Seth Meyers slams President Biden for not taking the threat of a second Trump term seriously enough following their debate. (Screenshot/NBC)
The host suggested that Biden’s words to Stephanopoulos meant he didn't grasp the significance of Trump winning again, especially in light of Biden’s narrative that his Republican opponent is a threat to democracy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This isn’t about how you feel. This is about how voters feel. If you truly believe that American democracy is at stake – and it is – then you have to act like it," he said.
Mocking Biden’s plans to get more sleep to deal with concerns about his mental acuity, Meyers added, "You can’t claim to be the last bulwark against fascism and also have a ‘more sleep’ plan."
"If you think this is serious, you need to act like it’s serious, because it is," Meyers advised.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Like late-night counterparts Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and others, Meyers is an avid supporter of the Biden White House.
President Joe Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election between himself and former president Donald Trump at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Meyers declined to endorse Biden suspending his campaign as other liberal pundits and some Democratic Party lawmakers have in recent days.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I have no idea what will happen, or if Biden will stay in or not, but as we’ve established on this show for years now, the stakes of a Trump presidency are incredibly high," the host said, adding, "The job of any Democrat running against him is to articulate the strongest possible case against him at all times, especially when everyone is watching. And right now, it’s pretty clear that’s not happening."
Biden was Meyers' first guest when he took over as "Late Night" host in 2014. He also had the president on his show earlier this year to mark his 10-year anniversary, and they got ice cream together.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meyers noted that jokes about Biden on his show may be controversial with his liberal viewers when he recently gave a "disclaimer" to his audience.
"As we made clear on this show repeatedly, there’s no equivalency between a competent 81-year-old who occasionally shows signs of age and a demented 77-year-old criminal who says dead people rigged the election and thinks electric boat batteries will lead to shark attacks," he said last month.