Late-Night Personalities Target Trump's Latest 'Gold Card' Residency Plan

Late-night's prominent hosts used their broadcast mocking President Donald Trump's just unveiled visa initiative, called the "golden visa," describing it as a clear pay-for-access arrangement for the wealthy.

The Late Show's Witty Spin

Opening his program, Stephen Colbert presented a sardonic holiday tune directed at the commander-in-chief. "He's making a list, reviewing it twice, then handing that list to the agents at ICE," he crooned. "Donald Trump ... spoils everything he touches."

The focus was the controversial plan that permits overseas individuals to buy U.S. legal status for the price of a million dollars, with a "top-tier" option for $5 million. The program's portal pledges approval "with unprecedented speed."

"One message for you to affluent applicants: prior to you pay, what about Canada?" Colbert quipped.

He explained that the program is also designed to "get cash" from firms looking to hire skilled workers, with large fees. "That's a lot of fees, though if you register, you additionally get free accommodation at a hotel of your choice – if it's the that one hotel," he continued.

"The best screening the government has ever done," stated Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, "that $15,000 vetting to make sure these applicants truly qualify to be in America."

"That is important, you have to prove you're fit to be an American," Colbert said dryly. "First question: how many burgers would you eat for a free T-shirt?"

Jimmy Kimmel's Blistering Commentary

On his own show, Jimmy Kimmel referred to the initiative the "American Dream Express Card."

"It's a card that will permit wealthy international individuals to live here," he stated. "For a million dollars, you get legal visitor status, you get a pathway to citizenship, and a president's pardon for one serious crime of your selection."

"Perhaps it's time to change that poem on the Statue of Liberty – forget about your poor masses. Give us a million bucks, you're in!" he added.

Kimmel lampooned the simplicity of the application, observing it is "tougher to start a Wordle account." He lamented that Trump "believes citizenship is something you can sell, like a steak."

"Indeed, the best people are the rich people," Kimmel joked. "That's what Jesus always said! Read it in the Bible. He says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle if you pay the needle a million dollars."

Seth Meyers covering Economic Concerns

Elsewhere, Seth Meyers turned to Trump's declining approval numbers during financial concerns. "Voters gave Donald Trump a another term since they were upset about the economy," he noted.

Recently, in a bid to discuss prices, Trump conducted a press conference in front of a display of food items, and behaved strangely to boxes of cereal.

"What a nice job, I think I'm going to take a few of them with me to my home and have a lot of fun," Trump remarked. "Like the Cheerios, I haven't had Cheerios in a while."

"He is so extremely weird," Meyers responded. "What do you mean, you're going to take them back to your cottage to have a lot of fun with them? What's the plan with those Cheerios?"

Meyers concluded by criticizing right-leaning media coverage of Trump's financial performance. "Maybe instead of voicing concerns, you should give him a shiny trophy similar to the one FIFA did," he joked.