More than his contemporaries, NBC’s host Seth Meyers thinks of himself as more of a thinking man’s comedian who wants to discuss policy and real issues. However, on Wednesday’s Late Night, Meyers accused Donald Trump of lying during the campaign about helping working people but only ended up proving he doesn’t know how tax cuts work.

Meyers introduced two clips by declaring, “Now, if you had to guess, what do you think would be the top priority of the wealthiest administration in history? If you guessed ‘Lowering prescription drug costs and reining in corporate price gouging,’ you gotta get better at guessing because that was a really bad guess. Obviously their top priority is tax cuts.”

 

 

In one clip, a local news reporter recalled, “Trump and Republicans in Congress setting an ambitious 100-day agenda. At the top of the list. A plan to renew about $4 trillion in expiring GOP tax cuts” while in a second, RNC Chair Michael Whatley added, “We want to see the Trump tax cuts get extended, so that's obviously going to be a priority in the first year.”

Meyers pretended to be shocked, “Oh my god, they're not bringing down the cost of groceries. They're just giving themselves a tax cut. Do you know what this means? Donald Trump lied. Now I'm starting to think someone else invented the word groceries. I believed you, and now I look a fool. I'm out here with egg on my face, which we all know is a grocery. Oh, the irony.”

Whatley clearly said “extended,” which means that if Republicans do not act, taxes will go up. If they do, taxes will simply remain the same, and that is true of everybody, not just rich people. However, Meyers showed his ignorance, “Now I know what you're thinking: How does giving a $4 trillion tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest people in America bring down the cost of groceries? Well, it's very simple. And I mapped it all out here.”

After briefly displaying a sign that read “It doesn’t,” Meyers rolled on, “So, how are they going to pay for the $4 trillion in tax cuts? If you guessed "Cutting defense spending, tax loopholes, and corporate subsidies," you in general need to stop guessing, because it's not your thing. Get your [bleep] together, man, when it comes to guessing. Obviously they’re going to cut programs working people depend on.”

Meyers would then accuse Republicans of lying about not touching entitlements, but despite what anyone might say about everything being on the table for cuts, the truth is Republicans have very narrow majorities, and when they had larger majorities in Trump’s first term, they did not reform them.

Here is a transcript for the December 11-taped show:

NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers

12/12/2024

12:47 AM ET

SETH MEYERS: So, Trump's cabinet of billionaires is gonna enforce loyalty among Republicans. Now, if you had to guess, what do you think would be the top priority of the wealthiest administration in history? If you guessed "Lowering prescription drug costs and reining in corporate price gouging," you gotta get better at guessing because that was a really bad guess. Obviously their top priority is tax cuts.

REPORTER: Trump and Republicans in Congress setting an ambitious 100-day agenda. At the top of the list. A plan to renew about $4 trillion in expiring GOP tax cuts.

MICHAEL WHATLEY: We want to see the Trump tax cuts get extended, so that's obviously going to be a priority in the first year.

MEYERS: Oh my god, they're not bringing down the cost of groceries. They're just giving themselves a tax cut. Do you know what this means? Donald Trump lied. Now I'm starting to think someone else invented the word groceries. I believed you, and now I look a fool. I'm out here with egg on my face, which we all know is a grocery. Oh, the irony. 

Now I know what you're thinking: How does giving a $4 trillion tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest people in America bring down the cost of groceries? Well, it's very simple. And I mapped it all out here. [Holds up a sign that says “It doesn’t”] So, I feel like maybe we didn't need a whiteboard for that. So, how are they going to pay for the $4 trillion in tax cuts? If you guessed "Cutting defense spending, tax loopholes, and corporate subsidies," you in general need to stop guessing, because it's not your thing. Get your [bleep] together, man, when it comes to guessing. Obviously they’re going to cut programs working people depend on.