In a scathing monologue on Monday's episode of Late Night, host Seth Meyers launched a blistering critique against Senate Democrats for their role in advancing a deal to end the government shutdown, accusing them of a naive capitulation to Republicans.
A Scorching Critique of Political Delusion
Meyers argued that the fundamental problem lies in a persistent, and in his view, misguided belief among some Democrats that cooperation with the opposing party is still a viable possibility. He pointedly remarked that Republicans simply will not work with Democrats, highlighting the number of lawmakers who are "still capable of deluding themselves into thinking cooperation is possible."
The comedian zeroed in on Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a moderate Democrat from New Hampshire who was part of the group that cut the deal with Republicans. Meyers played a clip of Shaheen claiming she had "heard" the White House say it was "willing to work" with Democrats once the government reopened.
Mocking the Oval Office 'Assurances'
Meyers responded with his signature sarcasm. "Oh my God, you did? Well I didn’t know you heard it from the White House. Wait, did you hear it from the East Wing? Because that might’ve just been demolition noise," he quipped, before adding, "No? It came straight from the Oval Office Bar and Grill?" This was a clear jab at the administration's recent installation of new, gold-colored cursive signage.
He further roasted Shaheen for treating a claim "straight from the White House" as a credible guarantee. "And if you can’t trust this president to keep his word, who can you trust — don’t laugh," Meyers advised his audience, breaking the fourth wall to acknowledge the sheer improbability of the statement.
The 'Lloyd Christmas' Standard for Governance
Meyers didn't stop there. He also targeted Senator Angus King, an Independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats and also folded on the shutdown. Meyers played a clip of King telling MSNBC that a vote to restore health care subsidies "may not succeed," but that a "reasonable chance" of success between 10-30% is "a lot better than 0%."
This justification drew one of Meyers' most biting comparisons. "You guys caved for a 10% chance of success? You’re supposed to be senators, not Lloyd Christmas," he joked, referencing the famously optimistic and dim-witted character from the film Dumb and Dumber.
The entire segment served as a comedic indictment of what Meyers framed as the "absurd" expectations held by some Democrats that the GOP would ever assist in passing a Democratic health care bill, portraying the shutdown cave-in as a strategic failure based on false hope.
