Stephen Colbert pantomimes for Donald Trump why America doesn't use nuclear weapons
![Stephen Colbert is skeptical about the Obama administration's $400 million cash shipment to Iran](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m7Ug3NeXnthF7csRxoLf5e-1272-80.jpg)
"I'm going to start tonight with some shocking news," Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday's Late Show. "There's a huge scandal out there that does not involve Donald Trump." When "future former President Barack Obama" got Iran to release four American prisoners in January, he said, "it turns out he forgot to tell us about a small shipping and handling fee." A lot of people are saying the $400 million in cash sent to Iran as the prisoners were released "sounds like ransom, because they know what the word ransom means," Colbert said, but the Obama administration is calling the timing "coincidental." This looks bad for Obama, he said, "and I'm going to keep talking about this story or my name's not Stephen Colbert — and my Swiss bank account number isn't 160257."
Then Colbert moved on to, well, Trump. He acted out a one-man play to explain to Trump why America doesn't use nuclear weapons — "story had a sad ending" — and breezed through the controversies Trump has ignited this week alone. "He makes more gaffes than I can keep up with," Colbert said. "It's like I Love Lucy in the chocolate factory, except with Trump, the brown stuff ain't chocolate." He laughed off talk of a GOP "intervention" and the "wishful thinking" from GOP leaders that Trump will drop out, ending with a Say Anything joke and some bad news for people hoping the next president is a gorilla. Watch below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.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 for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 9, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - personal data, trans athletes, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 tit-for-tat cartoons about Trump's trade war
Cartoons Artists take on Canada, Mexico, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The catastrophic conflict looming in the heart of Africa
In the Spotlight Showdown between DR Congo and Rwanda have been a long time coming
By The Week UK Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published