Stephen Colbert began his Late Show monologue on Wednesday with another look at Monday night's debate, focusing on Donald Trump's spat with ex-Miss Universe Alicia Machado and continued insistence he won despite the evidence, and ended it with a look at a British sperm-bank app. But he spent the middle part on Elon Musk's newly unveiled plan to transport humans to Mars by 2022 — or "halfway through Mike Pence's second term," Colbert joked, since President Trump would quit on Day 3 — at a cost of $10 billion a head.
"Finally, a plan to shoot billionaires into space," Colbert said. "I believe we have gotten a photo of the project managers," he added, throwing to a photo of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in lab coats by a rocket. "The question is, why would it be $10 billion?" Colbert asked. "Where have I heard that number before? Wait a second, how much does Donald Trump say he has?" You know that answer. "Aha! Elon Musk wants Donald Trump off the planet!" Colbert said. "I tell you what, if Donald won't pony up, I say we pass around the hat — maybe this one?" And hey, MMGA has a certain ring to it? Watch below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
5 immersive books to read this April for a brief escapeThe Week Recommends A dystopian tale takes us to the library, a journalist's ode to her refugee parents and more
-
'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study findsSpeed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
