Samantha Bee takes aim at Jimmy Fallon and NBC for making Trump look like 'a total sweetheart'
The "Full Frontal" host criticized Fallon and NBC bosses for continuing to promote Trump on their entertainment programs in an apparent exchange for ratings - especially after the network claimed it would end its relationship with Trump following his disparaging comments about immigrants last year.
"Why do so many Americans think playing footsie with fringe hate groups isn't a disqualifier from polite society, much less the presidency? Maybe because that's the message they get from entertainment giants like NBC," Bee said on Monday's show.
Bee pointed out that NBC continued their relationship with Trump as host of "The Apprentice" franchise as he fervently rolled out his "birther" campaign against President Barack Obama - essentially condoning "a race-baiting demagogue," in Bee's opinion.
"To their credit, NBC did sever ties with Trump after he called Mexicans rapists," the host said. "If by 'severing ties' you mean 'inviting him on their flagship comedy programs to show millions of Americans what a fun guy he is.'"
That brought Bee to Jimmy Fallon's controversial interview with Trump. She feels that Fallon (and his NBC bosses) continue to make Trump look harmless, because they aren't targets of the real estate mogul. She then showed clips from the interview of Fallon's softball questions and the ultimate messing-up of the candidate's mysteriously-styled hair.
"Aww, Trump can be a total sweetheart with someone who has no reason to be terrified of him," Bee joked. "I notice there were no cutaway shots to The Roots. I wonder why. Network execs and a lot of their audience can ignore how very dangerous Trump is because to them, he isn't. They're not gonna be deported. They're not gonna live under a president who thinks of them as a collection of sex toys. They're not racist, they just don't mind if other people are, which is just as bad."
NBC did defend its ongoing relationship with Trump during the Television Critics Association press tour in January.
"If we were in the business of never having guests on the network who had different views than our views, we'd be out of business," NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt responded when asked about the seemingly contradictory choices of saying it would sever ties with Trump and then inviting him on to their entertainment programs.
Watch Bee's take on NBC and Fallon's relationship with Trump below (at about 2:55 in):