Stephen Colbert previews Tuesday's GOP debate, focusing on Ben Carson

Stephen Colbert asks if Ben Carson really stabbed a dude
(Image credit: Late Show)

Even though we are now a year from the 2016 presidential election — and thus 11 months before voters will be paying attention, Stephen Colbert said on Monday's Late Show, the Republican field is meeting for its fourth presidential debate on Tuesday night. All eyes will be on Sen. Marco Rubio, the GOP's rising star, he said. "The Florida senator looked incredibly presidential in the last debate, thanks to his brilliant strategy of standing next to Jeb Bush."

"Of course, the stakes of the debate are highest for the two GOP frontrunners, Donald Trump and Ben Carson," Colbert added. And, in a nod to Carson's rising poll numbers, Colbert didn't focus on Trump. Carson has been facing scrutiny over his past claims and statements, he noted, making a joke about Carson's recently repeated theory that Egypt's pyramids were built by the Bible's Joseph to store grain. "Now, personally, I think the media should let this pyramid nonsense go and focus on the issues that affect us," Colbert added, "like, did he really try to stab a dude when he was 14?" He did manage to sneak in one small jab at Trump, but Colbert's biggest punchline was a Democrat, Martin O'Malley. Watch below. Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
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.