Late-night comedians react to Trump's 'much bigger' nuclear button comment

Late-night comedians took aim at Trump on Tuesday after he taunted North Korea.

ByABC News
January 3, 2018, 2:17 AM

— -- Late-night comedians took aim at President Donald Trump on Tuesday after he taunted North Korea earlier in the evening, saying that he had a "much bigger & more powerful" nuclear button on his desk.

"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump tweeted Tuesday evening.

Trump’s comment didn't sit well with some late-night television comedians, including “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, who referred to him as a “buttonhead” on Twitter.

“Please don’t make me picture your ‘button,’” Colbert tweeted Tuesday. “Also don’t start a nuclear war, you ‘Buttonhead.’”

“We have two maniacs with nuclear warheads bragging about who has the bigger button,” “Live” host Jimmy Kimmel said separately. "Happy New Year, everybody!"

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a warning to the U.S. during his annual New Year's Day address, claiming to have a complete nuclear arsenal and a nuclear button on his desk. But he also struck a conciliatory tone with South Korea and expressed interest in competing in the Olympic games there next month.

“Kim Jong Un is the only guy I know who threatens nuclear destruction and RSVPs to an event in the next sentence,” Trevor Noah, host of “ The Daily Show,” said Tuesday.

He went on to credit Trump for inspiring what would essentially be the nations’ first diplomatic conversation in years.

“North and South Korea now want to come to the table for talks that won't include the United States,” Noah said. “And that's the power of Donald Trump.”

“No matter how far apart two adversaries are, they can always look at each other and say, 'We better sort this out before that guy gets involved,'” Noah added, referring to Trump.

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