Jimmy Kimmel Says Trump Tower Is Now Its Own Monument to Racism

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Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. What do you think of it? What else are you interested in? Let us know: thearts@nytimes.com.

‘Bronze-Colored Symbols of Hate’

President Trump rattled off a series of tweets on Thursday morning bemoaning the disappearance of Confederate monuments. They became the grist for late-night indignation.

“Never to be replaced. Kind of like respect for the presidency — it’s gone.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“I do have to say, he makes one good point. If we’re going to start taking down every monument that pays tribute to racists, we should probably take down every building with the name Trump on it.” — JIMMY KIMMEL

“Now, of course, Trump may just be sticking up for his fellow bronze-colored symbols of hate.” — CONAN O’BRIEN

Seth Meyers on Steve Bannon

Seth Meyers dug into the continuing fallout from Mr. Trump’s comments on Charlottesville, and what they mean for his staff. But first, he got in one sucker punch.

“Axios today published a list of groups that President Trump has alienated during his first seven months of office. And now the world is out of paper.” — SETH MEYERS

And Now, Jokes That Have Nothing to Do With Trump

You’re not the only one who’s grown desperate for more of these.

“Hillary Clinton is coming out with a book called ‘What Happened.’ Yeah, out of habit, Bill Clinton immediately came out with his own book: ‘Baby, I Can Explain.’ He’s come out with that book 700 times.” — CONAN O’BRIEN

“A man in Texas accused of having sex with a chain-link fence failed to appear in court last week and is now on the run from police. Which is weird, because it sounds like he would have a great time in the prison yard.” — SETH MEYERS

The Punchiest Punchlines (Well-Reasoned Edition)

“A song which consists of nearly 10 minutes of silence has made it to the top 50 purchases on the iTunes charts. Said Mike Pence, ‘This rocks!’” — SETH MEYERS

“President Trump said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s choice to not attack Guam was a wise and well-reasoned decision. Yeah, Trump said, ‘Someday, I’m going to make one of those.’” — CONAN O’BRIEN

The Bits Worth Watching

From “Brian” to “Brain” to “SoupyMcSoupFace.”

Wherein Conan O’Brien’s Mr. Trump processes his grief at the fact that President Barack Obama just scored the most-liked tweet of all time.

Enjoy the Weekend

If recent history is any guide, the news cycle will not wind down when the workweek does. We’ll probably have a lot to discuss come Tuesday morning. Talk to you then.

Also, Check This Out

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Late-night TV isn’t the only cultural space conquered by the looming presence of President Trump. Our theater critics convened to discuss what has become the “Summer of Trump” on the American stage.

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