President-elect Donald Trump continues to roll out his nominees for Cabinet positions, and Stephen Colbert is a little queasy. "Watching Trump pick these people is like watching your nana get a sponge bath," he said on Thursday's Late Show: "You know it has to be done, but it's still upsetting." He focused on Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier and EPA critic, to head the EPA. "If I were him, I'd change my phone number, or else he's going to get some pretty angry calls from himself come January," Colbert said. But generally, "there's a trend out there of Trump appointing people to head things that they're against," he added. "I'm looking forward to Surgeon General Joe Camel."
Meanwhile, Trump's time transitioning in Trump Tower is costing New York City $500,000 a day in extra security, and Congress only approved $7 million of the $35 million the city requested to cover those costs. "The rest of that cost will fall on New York City taxpayers, which — fun fact — does not include Donald Trump (as far as we know)," Colbert said.
Trump has already met with reality TV producer Mark Burnett about staging his inauguration, and Burnett reportedly proposed that it begin with a parade down Fifth Avenue, followed by a (Trump-branded) helicopter ride from Trump Tower to Washington, D.C. Colbert did not approve: "Why hold a Trump parade here in Manhattan when Hillary Clinton won 87 percent of the vote in New York? That's like holding a gay pride parade in Mike Pence's backyard — it makes no sense." 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.
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
