Matt Whitaker was appointed as acting attorney general a day after the midterm elections, but late-night hosts Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah have had a thing or two to say in opposition of President Donald Trump's choice.
Whitaker, 49, was hired as the acting attorney general on November 7 after Jeff Sessions was forced to resign at Trump's request. From September 2017 to November 2018, he served as the Chief of Staff to Sessions. He also worked as a U.S. Attorney during former President George W. Bush's administration.
Whitaker proved to be a controversial pick to replace Sessions due to multiple red flags that have popped up since his appointment, including his background. The late night hosts aimed to use their platforms to sound off against Whitaker's hiring.
Meyers zeroed in on Whitaker in his "Closer Look" segment on Monday's episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. He criticized the newly appointed acting attorney general for backing products produced by World Patent Marketing. The Miami-based company has allegedly defrauded its costumers.
"Grifters always think they can outsmart everyone else. And that's what Trump is. A grifter who surrounds himself with other grifters," Meyers, 44, said Monday. "Right now, as we speak, Trump is being sued in Federal court for defrauding investors. He just appointed an acting attorney general who advised a firm accused of scamming customers."
Meyers continued, "That's right. The new attorney general of the United States was involved in a scam selling hot tubs. Not only does this administration keep adding grifters, the scams keep getting worse."
Noah equally addressed Whitaker's appointment on an episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Monday. In the episode's opening, the 34-year-old host evaluated how Trump claimed to have not known Whitaker before appointing him as attorney general.
"You know, sometimes Trump lies so hard he gives my brain whiplash because most people lie in a gradual curve," said Noah. "I know him. Well actually, I know him through a friend. Trump is just like the Tokyo drift of lying. One minute, he's like, 'He's my best friend.' Then, 'Never heard of him!'"
Noah elaborated further by detailing how Trump often goes against things he's previously asserted, adding: "I mean, at this point, you've just gotta laugh when Trump contradicts himself. He's like Newton's third law: For every Trump, there is an equal and opposite Trump."
Despite the criticism Whitaker has received upon replacing Sessions, Trump has nonetheless stood by his selection.
On November 9, Trump spoke with reporters about Whitaker's hiring. While he reiterated how he "didn't know" Whitaker prior to his appointment, he defended his choice by suggesting the politician was highly regarded.
"Matt Whitaker is a very smart man. He is a very respected man in the law enforcement community. Very respected; at the top of the line. And actually, the choice was greeted with raves, initially, and it still is in some circles," Trump, 72, said. "You know, it's a shame that no matter who I put in, they go after them. It's very sad, I have to say. But he's acting. I think he'll do a very good job. And we'll see what happens."
Added Trump, "But I will say this: Matt Whitaker is a very highly respected man, and you didn't have any problems with Matt Whitaker when he worked for Jeff Sessions. He's respected by law enforcement. He's a very strong law enforcement personality and person."
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Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more
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