After new reports revealed that the Department of Housing and Urban Development spent $31,000 on a dining set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office, late-night hosts had a field day lampooning the Republican politician’s spending habits. Though federal law prohibits the office from allocating more that $5,000 for decorating without congressional approval, an official working on the behalf of Carson allegedly said that amount of money wouldn’t even “buy a decent chair.†“Does Ben Carson think a good chair costs $5,000?†Trevor Noah asked on The Daily Show. “This guy would be the worst Price Is Right contestant.†Noah also pointed out that the department could have used the money that went toward lavish furniture to build a home for a low-income family — one of the the missions HUD was created to focus on.
Jordan Klepper on The Opposition saw it differently. As far as he’s concerned, the Trump administration is only full of “the best†and that must extend to chairs as well. “Look at that chair, you could eat off that chair,†Klepper said, fully in character. “Just imagine how many people could eat from that chair.â€
Seth Meyers also mocked the chair’s price tag. On Late Night’s “Closer Look†segment the host joked, “$5000 for a chair? Was it a dentist’s chair?†However, Meyers wasn’t surprised to hear that Carson wanted new furniture. “Hey, the man loves furniture. Based on his personality he’s probably been mistaken for furniture.â€