Stephen Colbert playfully jabs at Stephen Bannon: 'Criticizing Donald Trump is not good for your career'

Stephen Colbert mocks Stephen Bannon
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

On Tuesday, Stephen Bannon resigned under pressure from Breitbart News, the alt-right site he'd led since 2012, save his time as CEO of President Trump's campaign and stint as White House chief strategist. Stephen Colbert said there's a lesson in Bannon's downfall. Bannon "has now lost his high White House position, his billionaire benefactor, his base, and now his job," Colbert said on The Late Show. "It just proves what I've always said: criticizing Donald Trump is not good for your career."

"Meanwhile, it's Day 2 of the Oprah 2020 campaign," Colbert said. "When will she choose a running mate? Does she even need to run? Or does she just say the White House is one of her favorite things and move in?" Since Oprah isn't talking, Colbert looked at the knots Gayle King tied herself in on CBS This Morning, mostly disputing the report that Winfrey is "actively thinking" about running. Colbert also pointed to a snappy bit of trust-breaking between King and Norah O'Donnell — "Put a cork in it, Norah, do you want to be friends with Oprah's chief of staff or not?" he joked — then re-enacted it with his bandleader, Jon Batiste.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.