Fox News has reportedly been
gripped by paranoia and fear as on-air personalities worry
they could be next to go after last week's surprise
ouster of Tucker Carlson. Meanwhile, President Biden
joked about a possible rematch with Donald Trump in 2024 as Trump's likely main rival
for the GOP nomination, Ron DeSantis, loses steam. For more on this,
it's time for "A Closer Look." [ Cheers and applause ] The conservative movement is in a state of panic
and disarray right now after a string of electoral
and legal defeats. Their front-runner
for the nomination is currently under indictment
and facing more investigations. They keep losing big races
in key swing states, from the 2022 Senate races to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
election in April. And now their leading
propaganda network has been forced to pay out
a massive defamation settlement and cut ties
with their top-rated host, Tucker Carlson, seen here
recording a hostage video from the inside
of a Bass Pro Shop. And that sense of panic and fear has apparently set in
at Fox News itself. "Rolling Stone" reported the... Oh, my God,
fake names is so much fun. "Oh, sorry.
Got to take this. It's my Aunt Joan, as you can
all see from the caller ID. Hi, Joan.
What's that? You need to have
a tooth extracted? Oh, my God, that's terrible. You know what else is terrible
and about to get extracted? Tucker Carlson. Okay.
Got to go. I love you, Joan. And just like this
and every conversation, this is off the record." [ Laughter ] Of course, knowing their hosts, I'm guessing some of their names
are much dumber. Like, Brian Kilmeade
definitely has a reporter listed in his phone
as Santa Claus, although that definitely
will backfire on him. When that person calls, he's gonna think
it's actually Santa Claus. "Oh, my God, good.
You got my letter. Okay. I want to change
the PlayStation to an Xbox. And also, I'm not
into Funko Pops anymore." The sense of panic at Fox
is apparently so intense that other hosts who pushed the
big lie about the 2020 election are worried they could
also get fired. Oh, my God,
it's like a horror movie, except in this movie, the ax murderer is
a 92-year-old Australian man, and instead
of chasing his victims, he just makes them come to him. "Pick up some speed and run
to this chainsaw, you [bleep]" [ Laughter ] Also, we'll know when
Jeanine Pirro gets fired because it'll get so quiet. [ Laughter ] We're right across the street
from the Fox News headquarters, and we can hear her screaming
whenever she's on the air. Here, I'll show you.
Open the window. -You presented him
with your fake dossier alleging the president
had prostitutes peeing on him in Moscow. And it's possible...
-Close it. [ Laughter ] One thing is clear, Fox definitely seems like
an insane place to work. As we told you last week, Fox reportedly has a dossier of
alleged dirt on Tucker Carlson, and he's not the only one. They reportedly do it to all
their on-air personalities. One ex-Fox News anchor
lamented... And another departed
Fox News host added... That's insane. They keep files full
of damaging information so they can use it
against you later as blackmail. Not only does NBC
not have a file on me, they don't even know
what I do here. Like, the other day, I saw
an executive in the hallway, and they said, "Hey, 'Weekend
Update' was great on Saturday." And I said, "Thanks,
but I have my own show now." And they said, "You do? Well, we're sorry
to see you go." And I was like,
"No, it's on -- it's on NBC." And they said, "What time?" And I said,
"12:37 in the morning." And then they laughed
like that was a joke. But it's not a joke time. It's a real time. [ Laughter ] I didn't pick it, alright? It wasn't like, "Oh, no,
I want a seven in there." [ Laughter ] Anyway, the sense
of panic and fear over at the right's
leading propaganda network is emblematic of where
the MAGA movement is right now, broadly speaking. Just look at
Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who's been sinking in the polls after starting out
with a lot of hype. Look how nervous and shaky he is now that he's hit
some roadblocks and has come under fire
from Donald Trump. -What will Ron DeSantis do? He is trailing in the polls,
struggling with endorsements. And Trump clearly smells blood. -According to a new
"Wall Street Journal" poll taken last week, Trump pulled in
48% of the support among likely
Republican primary voters. The next person closest
to him is DeSantis, who is 24 points behind. -I'm not -- I'm not a candidate. So we'll see if
and when that changes. [ Laughter ] -You guys know the last hole
on a mini-golf course over here. [ Laughter ] I mean, that's one question.
He answered one question. And he looks like he's plunging
400 feet on a roller coaster. [ Laughter ] DeSantis is getting nervous because Trump has been
attacking him relentlessly, both in public
and behind the scenes. For example, Trump's campaign orchestrated a series
of endorsements from GOP members of Congress from DeSantis'
home state of Florida specifically
to embarrass DeSantis and get inside his head. Trump's aides have
reportedly mocked... And if anyone's capable of a
mind[bleep] it's Donald Trump. I mean, back in 2016, Lindsey Graham said
that if they nominated Trump, the Republican Party
would be destroyed and they would deserve it. And now he's on TV
crying and begging for supporters to send money
to Trump's legal fund. He probably has no memory
of what happened in between. His body's covered in Sharpie
like the guy from "Memento." [ As Graham ]
"He's mind[bleep] you." What the hell? Mee-maw, have you been writing
on me in your sleep again? Told you to break
the Ambiens in half, you witch. [ Normal voice ]
DeSantis is getting shaky because the hype
is giving way to reality as election season gets closer. I mean, I can't believe
I'm saying this, but the 2024
presidential election is already ramping up,
which is insane. I can't stand how early
these things start now. The other day, my 5-year-old
came home from school and told me he launched an
exploratory committee for 2076. [ Laughter ] Then I asked him
if he has a super PAC, and he told me,
"No, that's just a backpack." And that is today's
"Politics Jokes for Kids." [ Laughter ] See? [ Cheers and applause ] Kids can watch
"A Closer Look," too. Anyway, enough of that
[bleep] bull[bleep] I'm sorry, sorry.
Kids are watching. Enough of that [bleep] nonsense. Now, obviously, we're still
a year and a half away, so a lot could change,
like, I don't know, the Republican nominee
could be running while under house arrest. [ As Trump ] Sleepy Joe has been
a disaster for this country. [ Beeping ]
Sorry. That's my ankle monitor. My ankle monitor is very smart and knows
whenever I leave my house, which means my probation officer
will be here shortly to escort me back home. Probation? We love probation,
don't we, folks? One of the best "bations." It means you're a pro at bation. And, of course,
the only level above pro when it comes to bation
is master. [ Normal voice ] And that's... that's a politics joke
for 12-year-olds. [ Laughter ]
NBC has asked -- [ Cheers and applause ] NBC has asked us to hit
all the major demographics. So anyway, a lot can change. But as of right now, the likely
matchup we're looking at is a rematch between
Joe Biden and Donald Trump. And voters really
don't seem to want that. -Americans are not excited
about the prospect of a Joe Biden/Donald Trump
rematch. -This is a rematch nobody wants. -There is very little appetite
on either side of the political spectrum
for a rematch here. And as you see there,
70% do not believe that Joe Biden should run
for president again, and 60% believe
Donald Trump should not either. -At this point,
the Biden/Trump rematch just feels like your six-month
checkup at the dentist. Like, when they ask you
when you want to come back, you want to say, "Never." But, you know,
you just have to pick a random Tuesday in November
and get it over with. You guys remember how thrilling
the 2008 election was? Hundreds of thousands of people
pouring into the streets across the country, hugging
and celebrating all night. 2008 was like a coked-up
midnight rave in a Brooklyn warehouse
compared to 2024. A Biden-versus-Trump rematch is like a book club
you feel obligated to attend, even though everyone there
annoys the [bleep] out of you. "No, Jessica,
I did not read the book. No one read the book.
I'm here for the wine. And if you got
a problem with that, you can go eat, pray,
and [bleep] yourself." [ Laughter ] "I read the cover, Jessica." Even Biden's announcement that he was running
for re-election was sedated. It was just a video message
he posted on the four-year anniversary
of his first presidential bid. Over the weekend, Biden joked
about that announcement at the annual White House
Correspondents' Dinner. -I just announced
my re-election campaign. [ Cheers and applause ] Some of you -- Some of you scooped that I'd
announced it in the video. But really, you really
all thought in your heart that I just blurted it out,
didn't you? [ Laughter ] -I mean, yeah, of course we did. I just assumed that's how we'll
find out if aliens are real. [ As Biden ]
Look, here's the deal, Jack. When I was a kid
growing up in Scranton, I didn't have money for the bus,
so I rode a bike. Just like E.T. was real,
by the way. I met him. Just met -- Just met E.T.
at Area 51, took him for a joyride
in my Stingray. [ Laughter ] He just phoned home
and he told them it was rad. [ Laughter ] [ Normal voice ] But, yes, Biden
did announce his re-election bid in a video message last week as opposed to a live address,
which was a good call. That way if he wandered off
at the end, they could just edit
that part out. Look, we're never gonna stop
using that video. And you know why? Because Republicans
give us new content nonstop. But for Biden,
that's pretty much it. Well, that and the stair thing. [ Laughter ] As we mentioned,
Biden released that video on the four-year anniversary
of his first campaign launch, which is crazy to me. I can't believe
it's been four years since Biden first announced
he was running for president. Since then,
we've had a pandemic, an economic meltdown,
a coup attempt. It doesn't feel like four years.
It feels like 40 years. I mean, when was Trump's
first announcement? 1912? Was it in black-and-white
newsreel footage? [ Announcer voice ]
Here he comes, boys,
the mammoth of Midtown, the behemoth of business,
the Colossus of crime, Mr. Donald J. Trump himself. Look at him waving as he rides
down the escalator from the Trump Tower food court. Give 'em hell, Donald. [ Normal voice ] And that's
a joke for old people. [ Laughter ] We did it. We did it.
[ Cheers and applause ] We got all -- We got all
the major demographics. NBC is gonna be so happy when they find out
this show exists. Wait, what's that? The MAGA movement and
their leading propaganda network are in a state of panic
and disarray because they keep losing. Their political project
has been a disaster, and now they're facing
a series of electoral, financial,
and legal consequences. Their top-rated host
just got axed. Their current front-runner
is under criminal indictment, and their next best hope
is a guy who looks like he just saw... -...Martians peeing
on prostitutes. [ Laughter ] Audio callback. This has been "A Closer Look." [ Cheers and applause ] Hey, everybody, I just want
to take a quick moment to say that there's currently
a negotiation going on with the Writers Guild
of America and the studios. A strike might happen
as of late tonight, which means this show
will be interrupted and we won't be here
to spend time with you. I want to say how grateful I am that both sides are sitting down
at the table right now and that they're negotiating. And I'm hopeful that they will
be able to come to an agreement. This is a show that is built
on strong writing. Strong writing
is essential to this show. It's essential to any show
where the host, myself, is at best a C-plus performer. Really got to have the jokes. I love writing.
I love writing for TV. I love writing this show. I love that we get to
come in with an idea for what we want to do every day and we get to work
on it all afternoon. And then I have the pleasure
of coming out here and saying those words to you. No one --
Look, no one is entitled to a job in show business, but for those people
who have a job in show business, they are entitled
to fair compensation. They are entitled
to make a living. I think it's
a very reasonable demand that is being set out
by the guild, and I support those demands. But I also believe that everybody at the table
right now, be it from the writers' side
or the studio side, knows that the future
of this business is dependent on storytellers. And so I'm optimistic
and hopeful that because everyone
at the table believes that, they're going to
hammer out a deal and that I can be here
with you tomorrow. Because I promise, there is
no place in the world that I would rather be. And I'm gonna be here
the rest of the night. We'll be right back
with Chance the Rapper.
