On Monday, late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert dissected Donald Trump's campaign after an event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, billed as a Q&A with Trump, turned into a mixtape listening session as the former president shouted for his staff to play some of their favorite tunes. songs that were blasted in front of crowds at his 2024 campaign rallies.
During the event, moderated by South Dakota Governor Kristi L. Noem, Trump answered a few questions. One concerned the price of food, to which the former president again gave a response that invoked the fictional character Hannibal Lecter, immigrants and “black jobs.” At another point, the candidate encouraged his supporters to vote on January 5, two months after Election Day. The venue was the stuffy Expo Center, and one attendee overheated and fainted. At this point the music began, first with Schubert's Ave Maria, performed by the legendary Luciano Pavarotti.
Kimmel and Colbert drew laughs Monday, sometimes with just some of the raw footage of the event in North Philadelphia, where the president danced with his arms, swayed and walked across the stage as some of the hit songs from the soundtrack his campaign — many of which elicited cease-and-desist orders from the artists who performed them — were requested by him from the stage, then played for the audience to hear in their entirety.
“He played music and did that kind of bouncy little kid dance that he does for a whole 39 minutes. He stood there, swaying like a manatee tangled in seaweed,” Kimmel said. “Why stay on stage for 39 minutes? Pretend it was one of Don Junior's piano recitals and go home.
Songs selected by Trump to play for the assembled fans included: Sinead O'Connor's version of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Rufus Wainwright's version of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah” and “Rich Men North of Richmond Song” by Oliver Anthony.
Kimmel pointed out that Trump's communications director was quick to pivot the campaign moment, which made headlines about the candidate's mental health and cognitive abilities.
“He wrote, 'Total love fest at Pennsylvania City Hall.' Everyone was so excited. They were swooning, so the real Donald Trump turned to music. It was a love fest.' I want you to imagine a world where Kamala Harris stood there at a rally and said nothing, just danced for almost 40 minutes. Fox News would have dedicated an entire week to coverage, it would have been like the pursuit of OJ meets 9/11,” Kimmel joked.
ON The Late Show with Stephen Colbertthe host said he could barely believe what he was seeing after nearly two decades of covering election events.
“This Thursday will be 19 years since I started doing a late-night show, so I think I now have the experience and discernment to say with the deepest gravity: Last night's Trump Town Hall was a disaster.
“Memories” from the musical Cats closed the event, which Colbert delivered perfectly, by referencing the candidate's bizarre lie that immigrants are attacking animals in Springfield, Ohio.
“Trump closed the event with a handshake to another beloved song, 'Memories,' which, of course, is from his favorite musical, 'They're eating the cats.'”