Late Night In The Morning provides a daily clip of what you missed in late night television so you can enjoy your beauty rest without missing out on the laughs. Today: Stephen Colbert (The Late Show/CBS) hosts the new USA Freedom Grown-Ups in response to Trump stiffing the USA Freedom Kids.
You remember the video: Three preteen girls in star-spangled outfits crisply working through simple choreography as they lip-synced an upbeat update to “Over There.”
That dictator-ish performance kicked off a flurry of media appearances. The Freedom Kids said that Trump told them that he planned to listen to their CD all night. Now, though, the relationship is different. Jeff Popick, father of the smallest Freedom Kid and author of “Freedom’s Call” (the song performed at the Trump rally), said he planned to file a lawsuit against the company.
Good luck, Jeff!
Popick is quick to explain that the agreement was not written down, but, instead, involves promises from various agents of the Trump campaign which he says were then broken.
Good luck, Jeff!
Here’s what happened. The campaign, including former manager Corey Lewandowski, planned two shows for The Freedom Kids in Florida. The first event didn’t come to fruition, and Popick says he asked for $2,500 in payment for the second performance, in Pensacola. The campaign made a counter-offer: How about a table where the group could presell albums? Popick took the deal.
When they arrived at the show, there was no table for them to sell albums at. Popick tried his best to contact the campaign after to settle his dispute, but was passed around and ignored for weeks.
Then Trump skips the January Fox News debate and instead holds an event for veterans. That is when a rep of the campaign called Popick (like nothing ever happened) to see if the Freedom Kids might perform. What does it entail for the Freedom Kids? “Huge” exposure. What does it entail for the Popick’s? A flight (x5) from Florida to Chicago followed by a long car ride from O’Hare to Des Moines, Iowa. All by tomorrow at 6:30PM.
Good luck, Jeff!
When the plane landed, Popick had a message from the campaign staffer indicating that there was a change of plan. The campaign said they didn’t want them to perform, but could still come to the rally. The campaign asked Popick not to talk to the media, he says, but then gave them seats within arm’s length of the press while the girls were all in their now famous uniforms. “They just were constantly coming over, wanting pictures,” Popick said of the news media. “They wanted to take pictures, they wanted to ask questions — and I had to be a real jerk.” The cost of the flights, rental car and hotel were all absorbed by Popick.
You got played, Jeff!
In response to these shenanigans, Stephen Colbert rolled out the USA Freedom Grown-Ups. It’s like the same thing, but grown-up, which means I’m sure these actors signed a contract before performing.