Stephen Colbert reveals his first Late Show guest, fervent nightly prayer for Donald Trump

When Stephen Colbert takes the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Sept. 8 to start his reign as host of CBS's Late Show, his first guest will be George Clooney, with musical guest Kendrick Lamar, Colbert told reporters at a Television Critics Association event on Monday night. He's extremely excited to get back in front of an audience, feels "more freed up" now that he won't be in his "Stephen Colbert" character, and prays every night that Donald Trump doesn't quit the presidential race.

"Please stay healthy until I get on the air," Colbert said of Trump. "Don't do anything dangerous, don't ride any motorcycles, because every night before I go to bed I light a candle and pray that he stays in the race. And I also pray that nobody puts that candle anywhere near his hair." Colbert said that he will have all kinds of guests, but that his show will probably be more topical than his peers', "just because it's combed into our DNA."

In that vein, he told reporters that he honestly thinks Trump can win — "And that's not an opinion of Trump. That's my opinion of our nation" — and that if he does, the nation will survive: "You know what, there have been some great presidents and there have been some bad presidents.... Having a giant swinging set of balls isn't the worst thing in the world." Especially if you have a late-night TV show.

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