Stephen Colbert catches up with Hurricane Harvey, DACA, and Trump's bungling of both disasters

Stephen Colbert catches up with Harvey, DACA

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show With Stephen Colbert)

published 6 September 2017

Stephen Colbert's Late Show returned on Tuesday night after a two-week break, and he began the show by urging viewers to share their thoughts and money with the people affected by Hurricane Harvey, "because it's not going to go away for them for a long time." He also led a round of applause for the first responders, volunteers, and aid workers working in Houston and surrounding areas, before turning to another "unprecedented disaster, Donald Trump."

The president visited Texas twice after Harvey, but he "had a little trouble nailing the comforter-in-chief tone," Colbert said. "How hard is that to do? Look at the vice president, he nailed it on the first try. Donald Trump if you make me like Mike Pence, I will never forgive you."

Colbert moved from the unifying natural disaster of Harvey to the "manmade disaster" of Trump scrapping the DACA program to shield young adults brought to the U.S. illegally as children. "Even though his decision is unpopular, Trump bravely stepped up, then cringed back and had somebody else announce it," he said. But the DREAMers aren't the only ones who will be hurt by this decision — so will the economy. "Wow, Trump really is a dealmaker," Colbert said, slipping into Trump voice: "I'll trade you 800,000 productive young people and, wait, $280 billion for nothing, final offer."

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"After a tepid press release and having Jeff Sessions make the announcement, the president realized that he needed to step up personally — and make Sarah Huckabee Sanders talk about it," Colbert said, noting a particular verbal slip Sanders made in her press briefing. Trump eventually made his own statement, proclaiming a "great heart" and "a great love" for the DREAMers. "And you know what they say: If you love something, set it free — then lock the door when it's gone," Colbert said. He wrapped up with a Bart Simpson joke. 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.

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