Seth Meyers mocks Steve Witkoff call leak, says Russians should talk to Trump’s 'new friend'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Comedian Seth Meyers, in one of his latest episodes, mocked special envoy Steve Witkoff for a leaked call, where he seemed to coach Russian officials on how best to pitch to President Donald Trump, suggesting that President Vladimir Putin’s aides might want to consult New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani instead.
Seth Meyers mocks Steve Witkoff
Meyers, in his late-night talk show, said, “Bloomberg News published the transcript yesterday of a leaked phone call between special envoy Steve Witkoff and one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top aides, in which Witkoff appears to offer advice on how to flatter President Trump.”
“If they want to know how to talk to Trump, they should ask Zohran,” he jibed, referring to a photo of Trump beaming at Mamdani during Friday’s Oval Office meeting.
“Look at that,” he added. “Normally, the only time you see an old guy smile like that is when his favorite restaurant opens at 4.”
Friendly meeting between Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani
Despite Mamdani’s anti-Trump platform and his tour, “The Five Boroughs Against Trump,” the Oval Office meeting was friendly. Trump had previously called Mamdani a “communist” and even threatened to have him arrested for his plans to obstruct ICE operations.
Yet, the meeting proved far from hostile. Later, Trump posted on Truth Social, “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” along with photos from their discussion.
Trump also congratulated Mamdani on his victory, saying, “I want to congratulate the mayor; he really ran an incredible race against some very tough people, very smart people.”
Mamdani acknowledged their ideological differences but emphasized shared goals.
Donald Trump defends Steve Witkoff after call leak
The president, meanwhile, stood by Witkoff after Tuesday’s leak, telling reporters the envoy’s conversation was “standard negotiations”, although he admitted he hadn’t heard it.
According to the transcript, the conversation that happened in October between Witkoff and Putin's foreign-policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, Witkoff appears to sketch out a peace deal that would force Ukraine to surrender control of Donetsk, a long-standing red line for Kyiv.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Witkoff urged Moscow to frame any proposal with praise, advising that Putin should congratulate Trump and hail him as “a man of peace.”
The report comes as Trump has given Kyiv a deadline of November 27 to accept the deal backed by the US, which has faced criticism for being heavily in favour of Russia.
