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Seth Meyers on the Republicans: 'Their plan is to steal an election'

Late-night hosts attacked the president’s latest sinister suggestion that he may refuse a peaceful transfer of power while also looking at how the Republicans are trying to dismantle the process.

Related: Trevor Noah: 'Donald Trump is the blacklight on American democracy'

Seth Meyers

On Late Night, Seth Meyers warned that America is “as close as we’ve ever been to losing our democracy” while referring to Trump’s comment about waiting to see what happens with the result as “a truly treacherous moment”.

He was also alarmed by the lack of alarm from the other side. “Why aren’t more elected Democrats acting like this is the emergency it is?” he said. “They’re about as effective as the receptionist on Law and Order who says ‘Hey you can’t go in there’ as they’re going in there.”

Trump’s belief that the election will be rigged is “based on his made-up claims about mail-in voting” and he believes that there is no way he’ll lose otherwise. “You haven’t cracked 50% in the polling average all year,” Meyers reminded him.

Trump’s wildly inaccurate comments about “unsolicited” ballots led Meyers to make a Mean Girls joke: “They’re election ballots not pages from the Burn Book.”

He’s claimed that the Democrats are trying to sow confusion but Meyers countered with: “You sow confusion just by opening your mouth.”

Quite simply, Meyers said of the Republicans that “their plan is to steal an election” and he’s amazed by how brazen they are being about it. “They’re not hiding it because we all know what the game is,” he said. “It’s like if M Night Shyamalan released a movie titled Twist Ending.”

Stephen Colbert

On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert spoke about the ongoing protests in response to the lack of justice served this week for the killing of Breonna Taylor. Louisville police had been prepped prior to the result that there would be a fallout from the decision. “What tipped them off that justice wouldn’t be served for a black American?” he asked. “They must have had a source somewhere in the last 500 years.”

He continued: “This decision yet again undermines many Americans’ faith in our system of government and clearly Trump is jealous because that’s kind of his thing.”

Colbert also spoke about Trump’s baseless attacks on mail-in voting. “Trump doesn’t trust anything that comes in the mail unless it’s a bribe,” he said before speaking of a more chilling news item.

He reminded viewers that “what Trump really wants to do is undermine your faith in the election” and the president hopes people will feel too exasperated to bother voting. “The point is: you vote, he goes regardless of what he tries,” he said.

Trevor Noah

On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah said that “the world’s oldest democracy is about to become the world’s newest dictatorship” while speaking of Trump’s latest comments. He continued: “This is something you hear about in some random country where America steps in to enforce democracy.”

Noah said that Trump was once one of the world’s most famous landlords but now “he’s turning into the world’s most famous squatter”.

Trump’s slide toward dictatorship is nothing new. As Noah noted, “he’s written more love letters to Kim Jong-un than his wife”.

Noah also attacked the Republicans who have refused to take a stance against the president but have instead made vague promises about ensuring the transfer is peaceful. “A Mitch McConnell promise is as trustworthy as a husband with glitter on his face,” he added.

He also took time to cover Trump’s disastrous appearance as Ruth Bader Ginsburg was laid in repose. He was met with jeers and chants of “Vote him out.” “It’s like Trump’s Twitter mentions turned up in real life,” Noah joked.