Trevor Noah on billionaire tax loopholes: “Everyone suspected but still shocking to see evidence” | Late night TV recap

Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah summarized a bombshell report from ProPublica on Wednesday night that revealed how little the richest Americans paid in income taxes. The private tax records ProPublica released because “disclosing the identity of billionaires who paid little to no tax in the years when their fortunes grew by billions of dollars will help readers understand the magnitude of the tax advantage that the ultra-rich enjoy, “says Tesla founder Elon Musk, for example, he did not pay federal income taxes in 2018. Just like Jeff Bezos in 2007 and 2011, the same year he applied for a $ 4,000 child tax credit.

All of this was kept within the framework of the statutory tax code. “Imagine if you were so rich that you could afford accountants to make you look poor,” the Daily Show host said. Think about it: Jeff Bezos is so good at hiding his assets that he qualified for a child discount. This guy built his own rocket to take him into space and the US government says, ‘Hey brother, this is something for the kid until you get back on your feet.’ “

“Everyone’s guessed that, but it’s still shocking to see the evidence right in front of you,” Noah said.

“Much like wearing cargo shorts to Pride Parade, these tax loopholes are both messy and perfectly legal,” he added. “So if you want to change the system, you have to take action and write to your congressman. Then your congressman can hold your letter in one hand and the billionaire’s campaign check in the other and decide which to wipe his ass with. “

Stephen Colbert

On the Late Show, Stephen Colbert discussed criticism of Kamala Harris, who had just returned from a trip to Central America after Biden tasked her with handling and the abundance of migrants on the southern border. (Colbert imagined Biden’s delegation: “Okay, kid, let’s split up these international trips. I’ll be eating through the old country, praying, loving, how about you going south of the border, trying to solve a problem, that no president has? “from both parties for decades.”)

The “rockiest” moment of the trip, Colbert said, was when Harris bluntly told Guatemalan migrants, “don’t come,” which drew the ire of both progressives and Republicans. “So … non-partisanship!” Colbert joked.

Republicans had previously attacked Harris for not visiting him to see the border “firsthand”. “Yes, Republicans know that’s the way to solve any problem – you go there for a photo op,” Colbert said dryly. “It’s like the kids say, pictures, or you didn’t fix it.”

Jimmy Kimmel

In Los Angeles, Jimmy Kimmel awaited Joe Biden’s trip to Europe to visit the leaders of several prominent allies. The president hopes to “repair part of the damage Trump has done to our relations with our allies,” said Kimmel. “And it’s exciting for America.”

“It’s like introducing our new fiancée to all of our friends,” he continued. “You know, we haven’t been that close in the last few years because our ex was a loud, lying scammer who never picked up the check. But now we have a new guy – he’s a little boring, he’s not exactly George Clooney, but he treats us well and doesn’t throw starburst chews at the other world leaders so it should be nice. “

The trip got off to a bumpy start, however, when a swarm of cicadas delayed the White House press plane for seven hours. “If this were a movie, the government would have to go to a cabin in the woods to convince Sully Sullenberger to do one last job,” joked Kimmel.

Seth Meyers

And on Late Night, Seth Meyers took a closer look at the federal criminal investigation into Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani when CNN received audio of a much-investigated, devastating phone call with Ukrainian leaders.

Weeks earlier, federal agents raided the home and office of the former New York City Mayor for evidence. “I just can’t imagine the federal authorities searching Rudy Giuliani’s house and office and not finding anything incriminating,” Meyers said. “I mean, forget Ukraine and Quid Pro Quos, he probably has a fridge full of whitefish he stole from Zabar or a sink full of unpaid parking tickets that he tried to cram into the trash can just to get himself to remember he doesn’t have one. “

Regarding the phone call that helped usher in the first impeachment of Donald Trump in early 2019, “it was clear that what they were doing was seedy and that they knew it was seedy,” Meyers said, “because they were all speak so vaguely ”. , Mafia-like, where they never really ask for anything explicitly, but make it very clear that what they ask for is something in return.

“This whole thing is another reminder of the main thrust of Republican politics right now: electoral fraud to win,” Meyers concluded. “It turns out that the biggest criminals are in the so-called Law and Order Party.”