Stephen Colbert wonders who's more incompetent: Trump or congressional Democrats?

Stephen Colbert weighs the incompetence of Trump vs Democrats in Congress

(Image credit: Late Show)

last updated 1 February 2017

Though the magic of editing, Stephen Colbert noted on Tuesday's Late Show that President Trump has picked federal appellate Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the Supreme Court. The reality TV-style unveiling went smoothly, but "we're just 10 days in, and it feels like it's total chaos at the White House," Colbert said. "This is supposed to be the honeymoon. How could Trump blow the honeymoon? He's had three of them — this is what you've been training for sir."

Still, "you don't know if it's real chaos or planned chaos," Colbert said. "Does Donald Trump not know what he's doing, or does he not know what he's doing — like a fox?" To explore that question he introduced a new segment, "What's Happening?" — which, to be fair, didn't really address that questions. Colbert began with Trump's firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates and the executive order on immigration Yates was fired for refusing to defend.

"Right or wrong, Trump's immigration ban has been a P.R. disaster," Colbert said, bringing up the 5-year-old boy detained at the airport for four hours without his mother, reportedly in handcuffs, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's ham-handed response. "The boy fit the profile: He was a young, unmarried male, arriving from Iran," Colbert said. "He could have been radicalized, or if he missed his nap, very cranky. Bottom line, what he's saying is, Spicer wants you to remember that you can never be safe from anyone, anywhere, regardless of race, gender, or age. It's like they say: if you see someone, say something."

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"Fortunately, folks, there is a band of heroic go-getters who can lead us out of this dark time," Colbert said: "Congressional Democrats." In case you had any doubts, that was a setup for some pretty serious mockery, ending in a joke about white undies. Watch below. Peter Weber

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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.