Stephen Colbert laughs at Kellyanne Conway's big shill, takes President Trump's 3 a.m. phone call

Stephen Colbert takes Trump 3 am phone call

(Image credit: Late Show)

last updated 10 February 2017

New York City was blanketed in snow on Thursday, and Stephen Colbert found the political humor in Winter Storm Niko on Thursday's Late Show. "New York's not alone — schools all over the Northeast have been shut down," he said. "I think they should have named it Winter Storm Betsy DeVos, but you know, Niko's good too." Further south, "Washington, D.C., also got a little dusting today," he added. "Donald Trump was out on the White House lawn anyway, making a snowman earlier today. And because it was white, he appointed it to his Cabinet."

Colbert then reminded everyone that on Wednesday, Trump had slapped at Nordstrom for dropping daughter Ivanka Trump's clothes, and updated them on White House counselor Kellyanne Conway going on Fox & Friends to literally hawk the clothes on national TV. "Watching her do that on a TV show is weird," he said. "Don't you think it should be against the rules for a White House employee to shill products? Funny story: It is." Law broken, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer assured reporters that Conway had been "counseled." Colbert had some questions: "What kind of counseling are we talking about, Sean? Is it like a camp counselor? Is she working on her merit badge in ethics?"

You know who else had questions? Donald Trump. Colbert recounted the Huffington Post anecdote about Trump calling National Security Adviser Michael Flynn at 3 a.m. to ask if a weak dollar or strong dollar is better for the U.S. "I find it hard to believe that the president of the United States is up late at night, calling the wrong people for answers to basic questions," Colbert said — and then his phone rang. Watch him answer questions from "President Trump" — and weigh in on Trump's war on the judiciary — 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.