Former late-night talk show host David Letterman joked that Trump’s candidacy actually proved true a lesson learned in classrooms across the country. | POLITICO screen grab Letterman calls Trump 'repugnant', 'despicable'

David Letterman might be off the air, but the legendary late-night host couldn’t help himself from cracking a few jokes about the presumptive Republican nominee.

In an interview on NBC, the network that was once a frequent target of Letterman’s jokes, the comedian called Trump “repugnant” and “despicable” but could do nothing but shrug at the billionaire’s ascent to the top of the GOP.


“Well I understand that he’s repugnant to people,” Letterman told Tom Brokaw in an excerpt of an interview that will air on “Dateline NBC” Sunday night. “But you tell me, the men putting together the Constitution, witnessing this election, wouldn’t they have just said, ‘Well, that’s part of the way we set it up. Good luck.’”

“There’s nothing illegal going on,” he continued. “He’s just despicable.”

Letterman went on to joke that Trump’s candidacy actually proved true a lesson learned in classrooms across the country.

“In this very school, and in everybody’s school, you hear, ‘The great thing about America is anybody could grow up to be president,’” Letterman said. “Oh jeez, I guess that might be true.”

It’s not the first time Letterman has emerged from retirement to crack jokes about Trump. The former “Late Show” host dusted off his famous “top 10 list” bit at an event last summer, delivering one-liners about the candidate’s immigration stance, his history of real estate deals and “that thing on his head.”