Jenna Ortega | with Trump WH in Turmoil, Record-Low Approval, Zacharia & Guilfoyle Out, Golf Course Clash: A Closer Look

0:02Katie Zachariah last week became the shortest tenured White House press secretary in history after being fired five days into the role. Wow, you know you screwed up when your goodbye cake is made of leftover welcome cake.

0:21From 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, please enjoy this podcast edition of Late Night with Seth Meyers. On today's show, Seth talks to actress Jenna Ortega. But first, a closer look.

0:39Donald Trump's approval rating hit a new all-time low just two weeks ahead of the midterms. But don't worry, Trump is turning things around by ranting about the new stone at the White House and bragging about how expensive it is to dine at Mar-a-Lago. For more on this, it's time for a closer look.

1:00Well, we were only on hiatus for one week, and we missed an entire White House press secretary. Five days. That's how long she lasted. She got hired, gave one press briefing, and then got fired so fast, the melon in her welcome-aboard edible arrangement was still safe to eat. You got to eat that melon fast. That's not wait-a-day melon. She got fired so fast, I can barely remember her name. I think it was Kaylee Macarena? Kareed Zakaria? Casey's sack of potatoes? I don't know. I feel like I'm close. I don't even remember where she came from or how she got the job. All I know is that, judging from her first and only briefing, her previous gig was crew member on Below Deck.

1:47She looks like a cruise director about to tell passengers that norovirus ain't no big thing. The only other thing I know about her was Is that she's a lawyer? Maybe? Just not here? In America? You said she's an attorney Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state? What did she tell us? I'm gonna stop you right there Actually, I don't have to stop her right there Because that's where she stopped She thought she could say When I moved to China And that would be the end of it Donald Trump Hired as White House press secretary a person who thought she could tell the press she passed the bar when I moved to China, and reporters would just move on to the next question.

2:30Also, you don't even have to be a lawyer to be the press secretary, but she said she was, and they believed her. Nobody checked, because apparently they vet new employees less intensely than a f***ing record store. You like records? Right on. Can you start now? So I probably wanted to make sure Katie Zachariah, that's her name, that's her name, was gone before SNL came back from hiatus, as even she was expecting she'd get mocked on the show. Saturday Night Live, you know they're going to be coming. You know this Saturday they're probably going to be doing something. Who would you like to have play you on Saturday Night Live?

3:06I know it's coming, yes. I think, who would I like to have play me? Maybe a Scarlett Johansson-type character. I could see that. A Scarlett Johansson-type? It's SNL. They can get the real Scarlett Johansson. You sound like me when I heard Jost was marrying her. I was like, you mean he's marrying a Scarlett Johansson type? And they were like, no. He's marrying the real one. And I was like, yeah, rock and roll. Rock and roll, man. But that wasn't the only unceremonious departure from Trump world as a... Oh, I already forgot what it was again. Chicken cacciatore? Doesn't matter. The point is, she wasn't the only Trump acolyte who lost her job last week.

3:53We start with breaking news out of Washington and the surprising resignation of U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. That's right. Less than an hour after the White House announced she was asked to step down, Guilfoyle made it official announcing her resignation on social media. The former Fox News TV host and fierce ally of President Trump is being investigated by the State Department over reports she took part in a pay-to-play scheme and other misconduct allegations. Are you considering firing her? Well, we're looking at it. Yeah, we're not happy. Do you know how much corruption you have to be doing for it to be too much corruption for Donald Trump?

4:29That's like getting your yum-yucked by Hannibal Lecter. By the way, I'm aware it's weird for me, the 52-year-old man To say the words, getting your yum-yucked, but I'm gonna own it I think it's cool and makes sense, and you can trust me Because I got my degree in public speaking when I moved to China Shout out University of Sichuan Go Wildcats So, Kimberly Guilfoyle got the ax Who was the White House messenger Who had the unfortunate duty of informing the world Of Guilfoyle's unceremonious canning? We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.

5:07Oh, my God, what are the odds? Guilfoyle got fired during what scientists call the incredibly tiny Zakarian window. Guilfoyle got fired, and then the person who announced her firing also got fired. It's like a Russian nesting doll if each doll was being escorted out by security. They got their little box, and inside that's a little box, I thought. This is also an especially tough ending for Guilfoyle because she was almost, there was a time she was almost part of the Trump family. This is somebody who was almost a part of the president's family. She was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. for a time. He wasn't a member of my family.

5:45She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago. I've known her for years. Not that well, but I've known her. What do you mean not that well? She was your ambassador to Greece. She was engaged to your son. And she gave one of the looniest convention speeches of all time in 2020, when despite there being no audience because of COVID restrictions, she cranked the energy up to the rafters. The best is yet to come!

6:13Trump probably saw that and said, she's too loud, put her somewhere I can't hear. And someone said, how's Greece? Trump claiming he didn't know Guilfoy that well is cold. I mean, the guy won't have your back, even if you're borderline family. You can be engaged to become a Trump, but if you make him look bad once, he'll pretend like he's never heard your name. I'm sorry, I don't know the name you're saying. Melanie? Melania? It doesn't ring a bell. You'll have to ask my press secretary, Christy Macaroni. All of this turmoil, along with rising prices and the war in Iran, has put the GOP in a deep hole.

6:44We're only two weeks away from the midterms, and Trump is as unpopular now as he's ever been. President Trump's approval rating has reached a record personal low of 33%. This is according to a new ABC News poll, which also shows more than half of Americans say household purchases are unaffordable. The poll puts Trump's own approval rating at just 33 percent, with two-thirds disapproving and just over half disapproving strongly. That sour view of Trump's performance is lower today than it was after a mob of his supporters ransacked the Capitol on January 6th. Three-quarters of Americans now have a negative view of the economy.

7:2071 percent in the poll now say gas is unaffordable, and 66 % of Americans say Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself. Wow, people do not care for this man, but unfortunately, they only seem to remember they don't care for him after they put him back in power. The American electorate's like a cast member of Jackass who sticks his d*** in an electrical socket, gives it a try, immediately realizes how painful it is, passes out, wakes up four years later, forgets what's happened, looks at the socket and says, if you think it's funny, I'll give it a try. And those two stats tell the whole story.

7:5671 % say gas is too expensive. 66 % say Trump is getting rich off the presidency. You can incite an insurrection. You can start an illegal war. You can lie about a pandemic. But if the cost of hamburgers goes up by 79 cents while you're making bank on a scam crypto coin, voters are going to look at you the way Nathan Fielder looks at Elizabeth Holmes. But don't worry, everybody. Trump is a last-minute gambit to turn things around. He knows exactly what the people want, and he's laser focused on giving it to them. Major developments now in the ongoing legal battle over the golf course at East Potomac Park in Southwest DC.

8:30In a social media post this morning, President Trump laid out his plan to close the park so he can build a championship level golf course over the next 15 months. In a true social post, President Donald Trump said he plans to close the historic golf course for 15 months to transform it into what he says will be, quote, one of the best golf courses in the world. President Trump even shared a rendering of the proposed redesign Sunday afternoon. So gas is over$4 a gallon, inflation's climbing, the Iran war is deadlocked, measles is spreading, AI might kill us, and there's a new strain of drug-resistant, sexually transmitted diarrhea.

9:08Sorry to be the bearer of that news, but don't worry, everyone, there's gonna be a new golf course close to the president's office.

9:29Republicans must be so happy that Trump has finally given them a closing message to run on. Michigan and Texas are going to be filled with lawn signs that say four more years. Please, Mr. President, no one cares about your golf course. Polling on the economy has never been worse. People are furious. You have to give voters something, anything, to feel good about. Does anybody want to see a great work of art, a great thing of beauty? Yeah, I mean, sure. I mean, I don't like beautiful things as much as the next guy. I mean, I don't want to let it sidetrack me from the important issues affecting Americans, but you do have my attention.

10:02Show me something beautiful. Just please tell me it's not going to be that stupid helipad. The helipad, right? The helipad has gotten unbelievable architecture reviews. It's a helipad! No one's giving incredible architecture reviews. What magazine are you reading? Katie's Architectural Digest? It's not architecture. It's paving. You didn't build the Sistine Chapel. You made the White House lawn look like the roof of a hospital. But Trump is so wildly out of touch that even with record disapproval among voters, he's still bragging about his stupid helipad like it's something the rest of us should be blown away by.

10:40He did it again today at an event that was supposed to be about women's health. Rather than stay on topic, he spoke in length about the new patio that replaced the White House Rose Garden. That stone is so beautiful. You know, I've been here when we had grass. You know, this is built on a wetland, and the grass was always wet. If it didn't rain for two weeks, the grass was soaking wet. See the cushions, those beautiful yellow cushions? They're supposed to be a half an inch high. I said, how about four inches? Don't they feel nice? They don't make them in four inches. I had them specially made four inches for everybody.

11:13So it lifts you up higher, and it's a lot more comfortable than the one-inch deal. Well, enjoy it. And outside, you have the new heliport that just opened. Stop talking about the heliport. No one cares about the heliport. If our number one priority was remodeling the White House, we would have elected Chip and Joanna Gaines. But Trump simply cannot help sounding wildly out of touch because this stuff is all he cares about, his own life of luxury and privilege. even when he's supposed to be campaigning. At a rally in Georgia, Trump repeated his promise to send$5 ,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans win the midterms, even though Republicans are already in charge of everything.

11:52He could do it now. But in the process, he couldn't help reminding everyone he is much richer than you. The only caveat is you have to spend that$5 ,000 in the United States of America. So let's go to Miami, darling, or let's go to... let's go to Palm Beach and enjoy the president for lunch. Let's have lunch at Mar-a-Lago.

12:17Where for$5 ,000, you'll get one hamburger and a small dessert. I shouldn't say that.

12:29I shouldn't. It's probably true. It might sound like a lot for a burger, but you have to remember it's also a bribe. I'm not joking. That's what it says on the check right below tax and gratuity. Mar-a-lago. The food is bad. The conversation is worse. But on the upside, the cushions are three feet tall. Publis will blame anything or anyone for their standing in the polls. Joe Biden, fake news. But the reality is obvious. Voters are furious because prices are soaring. All Trump seems to care about is his golf course and his helipad. And judging from the polls, if the GOP loses in the midterms in two weeks, many voters will see it as...

13:09A great thing of beauty. This has been A Closer Look.

13:23Our cast tonight is an Emmy-nominated actress. You know from her work on the hit series Wednesday, as well as movies such as Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Death of a Unicorn and the Scream franchise She stars in Clara and the Sun Which will be in theaters everywhere this Friday Please welcome back to the show, Judd Ortega, everybody

13:43Hello, how are you? I'm doing alright, how are you? I'm good, I'm very happy you're back Nice, yeah, I'm pretty glad too Alright You know what, I'm not gonna put it on the poster But I'll take it Leave it there I'm very excited as well You wrapped season three of Wednesday It's true I'm very excited because season two You drove off into the sunset With my dear friend Fred Armisen Wednesday's dear friend Uncle Fester And I mean I'm hopeful You know I'm going to see the two of you together a little I think maybe a touch Okay great We're related in the show Yeah And the last time you saw me I was with him Yeah So there's a good chance that the next time you see me He might be there as well That's great Yeah This is I don't know I'm not allowed to say much about it I know I was going to say Like I was going to say you should have said spoiler alert But I feel like nothing was spoiled Really nothing You know they trained me well Are you somebody you needed to be trained well about spoilers You seem like someone who wouldn't be willing to give things away anyway No I No I feel like I'm going to As somebody who barely knows you I would feel very safe if I gave you a secret I think I've given so much in this conversation already Yeah but that's what I mean I'd be heartbroken if like this If like the minute you leave me You just tell everybody everything Yeah I spoil everything as soon as I hit backstage You know when the camera As soon as the light goes off You're just spoiled city Yeah talk of I do want to check in Because last time you were here we talked about You were filming in Ireland You went to a pet shelter You adopted a dog Yes This is your dog now She yes What is your dog's name?

15:22I'm sorry I forget Well she goes by a bunch of different names but most people know her as Twigs. Twigs, gotcha. When she sleeps, she looks like a pile of burnt sticks. Now, a lot of dogs just go by the one name. Why does yours have so many? Just because she... Nothing really suits her. Yeah. Like, we just... And she has little fixations. Like, she was obsessed with licking people's toes for a while. Uh-huh. So what... So she went by toes. I was gonna say. She looks like Twigs. Uh-huh. She looks like she's been called Mouse. She's been called Chicken. Gotcha. Did she have a name when you adopted her from the shelter?

16:04No, she didn't. Really? So it was Fresh Road. Yeah, completely. You could give her whatever name you wanted, and you've just been trying them all out. Yep. I'm more fascinated with love and respect to twigs. You also were, what's the word for, you did not fully adopt, but you were fostering. Yes, I was fostering chinchillas. Three chinchillas. Yes, I miss them every day. Gotcha. So when you went back to film, did you go back to check on the chinchillas that you had been following? No, someone adopted them. Really? Yeah. You seem angry about this. It's good for them, and it's not the point of fostering.

16:38So if they're happy, I think they are. That's really funny. It's very funny to think of, like, I don't know, a foster parent being so upset that they actually found a home. You get really jealous. Also, I have a lot of my friends, they started off fostering their dogs, and then, you know, adopted them. So it's just... I would imagine. Like, I kind of can't believe people can foster. Yeah. But the chinchillas, I guess you had to return because you couldn't bring chinchillas. Yeah, you couldn't bring the chinchillas back. I wasn't allowed to stay in Ireland. No. No. Did you give the chinchillas names?

17:08Yes, there was Alma, Donald, and Basil. Okay. So I chose two Irish names, and then Basil I just thought was really cute for the little run. Yeah. And he was... Would you, in a perfect world, if you had been able to bring three chinchillas back to America, would you have, or are they just not good long? Really? Yeah, you could be, like, reading a book, and one would be sitting on your shoulder. Yeah. It was amazing. Yeah. That's great. Look into chinchillas. Look into chinchillas. Yes. Hashtag ad or hashtag not an ad? Are you connected to... It's kind of an ad. If I find out, you're connected to big chinchillas.

17:42But they are... They are nocturnal, so if you need to sleep at night, you will hear them, like, breaking stuff in the other room and running. Okay, great. I'm very glad you put in the reason None of us should do this right at the end Literally I was about to get on Chinchilla.com and I'm like hold on Cancel order I don't want to hear Three little tiny things So while they're on your While you're reading your book getting ready for bed They're just getting all jazzed up on your shoulder They're like the minute you turn the lights off I'm going nuts in this place Alright well it's good to know I learned a lot about Chinchillas And now I want to learn a lot about your next project But we stick around You guys This is Jenna Ortega We'll be right back

18:28We're here with Jenna Ortega Your new film Clara Is based on a book Yes And you play an artificial friend Yeah Did you enjoy this? I did I did actually I was quite interested in the script Because it was very different From everything else That I had been receiving After Wednesday, I felt like I was getting a lot of teenager angsty, upset. So it was kind of hard to get onto a job that wasn't that. But I like to work and I like to do what I do. So this was very different for me. This character is very, well, she's not real. But she's very happy and overly excited about everything. Like to a fault almost.

19:09Like people are really turned off and they don't want to buy her from the store for a while. Because she's so in your face. So that was kind of an interesting challenge. but then it's also based off of a book by Ishiguro who did Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go. Incredible award-winning author, really moving work and I fell in love with the book and then I had a good conversation with the director, Taika Waititi, and then everything just started falling into place. Do you and Taika have conversations about how you play a character who is close to human without entirely being human? Yeah, well, I had no idea what to expect because I was reading the script and every five seconds she's falling and tripping all over the place.

19:41She has no understanding of any sort of boundary so I just was asking well do you want a super obvious robotic performance or not but he didn't want she's all of the characters in the film all of the humans in the film are very flawed and sort of depressed and angsty and uh he wanted to make sure that people were still feeling some sort of sympathetic feeling towards Clara even though she's artificial and that's kind of a touchy situation right now publicly um so we played her human and then just sort of allowed physical comedy to carry the more inhumane aspects which is very fun and i'm very glad you get out it i mean again i think people see you uh you know again when you're so exceptional in a show like wednesday people assume like oh i want to keep seeing her that way and it's nice to see you outside of that yeah i'm also wondering like with uh with wednesday is there an assumption that uh you are more excited about halloween than other people yeah i get a lot of questions that are Halloween related.

20:40Yeah. But it's true. It is my favorite Halloween. Okay, gotcha. So. So it's not that, it's not, it's not that obvious. No, no, no. And it's always been? Like even as a, even as a child? Always. Gotcha. Always. I love costumes. Yeah. Yeah. Were you the kind of kid who made your own costume or did you have sort of a lot of parental help? Uh, yeah. No, we made some of our own costumes. I was a rock one year. Oh, wow. Where is, what is the starting place with rock? Like when you're a kid and you want to be a rock? You go to like Hobby Lobby or something. Okay. You get a big block of styrofoam and you spray paint it.

21:09Okay, gotcha. And I had a headband, I think, that said rock. Oh, that helps. Yeah. I think you need to have something that says rock, because otherwise the whole day people are going to be like, what are you supposed to be? Right. But you see rock, you're like, thank you for, you know, letting me know exactly what I'm looking at. I was a pile of garbage one year. How was that? It was great. And my dad... It was your idea? It was my idea. My dad did all the work. And I, looking back, and based on the feedback, the biggest mistake I made was a headband that didn't say garbage. Yeah, because there was a lot of like, are you a pile of leaves?

21:37You know, nobody actually knew I was supposed to be garbage. But it was okay. It's fine. How old are you? I think it's okay. It was last year. Oh, yeah. I was going to say 20. Yeah, it was last year. And my dad was like, I'm too old to help you with this. He's like crying. And I'm like, what am I going to do? Ask my kids? And he's like, I don't think you should do it at all. What about this year, then? Do you have anything picked up? No, I don't know what to do this year. It's coming up. I really need help. I know. Are you the kind of person, I don't think I'm going to be anything. I'm going to walk around with my kids.

22:08Because the garbage went that bad, huh? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're just over it. Yeah, I'm going to be a reformed garbage. I'm going to be like, I'm the guy who cleaned up his act. It's late. You're late. Are you somebody who... I'm late? No, I do it last minute. It's like nothing. Okay. Last year, I was walking, or two years ago, I saw a swan costume, and then I was Bjork at the Oscars, which was great and easy, because she wore that swan dress. And then last year, I wanted to go out to, like, this big parade. And I was the Invisible Man. Okay. So what was that? What did you wear for that one? I bandaged my face with...

22:45Oh, great. And stole a hat and a trench coat from a friend. It was just, like, a little suspicious going into pubs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was in Ireland. And then they just... I think it looked like they were sneaking a child into the... So I had to, like, pull off the face. I got invited to a Halloween party I don't want to go to. I'm going to tell people I went as the Invisible Man and then just not show up. I thought I was so witty for saying that when I was 12. But respect. But respect. Oh, my God. Thank you. I didn't realize. That's so much. Thank you for the respect. Clarification. I was just glad that this idea was appreciated by somebody else.

23:18I didn't mean to sound. That means the world. That means the world to me. You know what? I dressed up. I dressed up like garbage last year, but you're the first person to truly make me feel like that.

23:40Late Night with Seth Meyers airs weeknights on NBC at 1235, 1135 Central. Original music on the Late Night Podcast is by the HE Band. Don't forget to follow the handle Late Night Seth on social media and tell your friends to subscribe to the Late Night Podcast wherever they get their podcasts.

24:04Thank you.