Stephen Colbert finds one person who actually likes the GOP's embattled TrumpCare plan

On Monday, "the Republicans finally unveiled their health care plan — then, out of force of habit, they voted to repeal it," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show. The bill does keep some of the popular parts of the Affordable Care Act, he said. "Oh, there's one other thing they're keeping from ObamaCare — nobody likes it. Conservatives are calling it 'ObamaCare lite' — great taste, less coverage." Democrats are unhappy with it because it's essentially a $600 billion tax cut for the wealthy and it covers an estimated 20 million fewer people than ObamaCare. "Pretty rough, 20 million fewer than Obama?" Colbert said. "That sounds like Trump's inauguration."
Colbert did manage to find someone who approved of TrumpCare, and they had a little disco party. "Where was I?" he asked, after his dance with death. "Oh yeah, we're all gonna die." Aside from the Grim Reaper, Colbert found some other winners from the plan, like insurance executives making more than $500,000 a year — "so, all of them?" he said — and tanning salons, both of which get special tax cuts. He marveled that more than 10 percent of the legislation is about denying Medicaid coverage to lottery winners, then noted that Republicans haven't explained how much it will cost or how they plan to pay for it. "So this bill's going to be like those fancy restaurants where they don't have what it costs on the menu," Colbert said.
After ribbing the GOP for some of the hiccups in its TrumpCare rollout, Colbert turned to other news. "Of course the other big story today is that Trump's BFFs over at WikiLeaks took a Wiki-dump on the CIA," he said, noting that one alleged power the CIA has is eavesdropping through Samsung smart TVs. "This is true, I have all Samsung TVs in my house," Colbert said. "And that means the CIA has hundreds of hours of me looking for the remote." He ended by showing President Trump greeting visitors in the White House — under a portrait of Hillary Clinton. "That is awkward," he said. "Apparently presidential portraits are commissioned based on the popular vote."
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.
In the last part of his monologue, Colbert poked fun at HUD Secretary Ben Carson's comments about slaves being immigrants. "I think it unfair everyone is dwelling on this one gaffe of Carson's," he said, "because the rest of Carson's speech was a gaffe-hole of doom." Watch below. Peter Weber
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.
-
How worried should we be about asteroids?
Today's Big Question Odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth have fluctuated wildly this week
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why does Elon Musk take his son everywhere?
Talking Point With his four-year-old 'emotional support human' by his side, what message is the world's richest man sending?
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why are sinkholes becoming more common?
Podcast Plus, will Saudi investment help create the "Netflix of sport"? And why has New Zealand's new tourism campaign met with a savage reception?
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed 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
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published