President Donald Trump went after late-night TV host Seth Meyers this weekend following jokes the comedian made about his comments on how aircraft carriers should be built. The back and forth started when Meyers showed his viewers a video of Trump talking to military members about the equipment used on Navy ships.
According to The Hill, Meyers played a clip on his show where Trump was discussing catapults, the systems that launch planes off aircraft carriers. In the video, Trump asked which type was better between electric and steam versions. He said the military was wasting billions of dollars on what he called “stupid electric” catapults and promised to order that future carriers go back to using steam.
Meyers made fun of Trump’s focus on this topic, saying the president thinks about catapults more than the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote does. He also joked that Trump might start wanting soldiers to tie themselves to rockets. The next day, Trump fired back hard at the comedian.
This wasn’t exactly a proportional response to a simple comedy bit
“Seth Meyers of NBC may be the least talented person to “perform” live in the history of television. In fact, he may be the WORST to perform, live or otherwise,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I watched his show the other night for the first time in years. In it he talked endlessly about electric catapults on aircraft carriers which I complain about as not being as good as much less expensive steam catapults. On and on he went, a truly deranged lunatic. Why does NBC waste its time and money on a guy like this??? – NO TALENT, NO RATINGS, 100% ANTI TRUMP, WHICH IS PROBABLY ILLEGAL!!!”
The president going after Meyers is nothing new when it comes to his relationship with TV personalities who make jokes at his expense. Trump has often said he wants to sue big TV networks or use government power to stop what he sees as unfair criticism from journalists and comedians.
When Trump said being anti-Trump is “probably illegal,” it worried people who care about freedom of the press. He and his team have talked before about going after networks for coverage they don’t like. The president has made similar bold claims about other groups and individuals who he believes have not shown him proper appreciation.
The catapult issue Trump mentioned is actually based on real decisions the Navy has made. Newer aircraft carriers like the Gerald R. Ford class use electromagnetic systems to launch planes instead of the old steam-powered ones. Trump has said many times that he thinks the old steam catapults were better and that the new electric ones cost too much money and don’t work as well.
His use of social media to attack critics has been a regular part of how he deals with negative attention. The fight with Meyers shows that even small jokes can lead to big reactions from the president.
Published: Nov 3, 2025 02:30 pm