Late Night Tackles Trump and Russia
Stephen Colbert wryly tries to out–Sean Hannity Sean Hannity in his whiplash-inducing defense of Trump
Sunday night's Grammy Awards "was a pretty political show," with artists including Camilla Cabello, U2, and Logic criticizing President Trump's immigration policies, Stephen Colbert said on Monday's Late Show. "Not the first time that Donald Trump and logic have been at odds." Trump's "arch-enemy and wedding guest" Hillary Clinton also made a cameo, reading from Fire and Fury, Colbert said. "Man, that must have made Trump so mad, to see Hillary showing off how she can read." U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley wasn't a fan of that bit, saying she wanted to keep politics out of music. Colbert listed some artists Haley must love, from Bob Dylan to N.W.A. "N.W.A. — I love their song 'No Comment on Tha Police,'" he deadpanned.
Trump has his own performance on Tuesday, his first State of the Union address. "He's not scheduled to appear in front of Congress again until the impeachment hearings," Colbert said, wistfully. "The administration wants to showcase what the country is like now that the Republicans are in charge of everything, and they may have done just that, because they sent out these actual tickets to see the 'State of the Uniom.'" Or maybe that wasn't a typo, Colbert mused.
Colbert turned to the reports that Trump tried to fire Special Counsel Robert Muller last summer, stopped only by his White House counsel and '80s cover-band guitarist, Don McGahn. Trump got plenty of heat for his attempted justice-obstructing, but "luckily, Trump could count on backup from his friend on the TV," Sean Hannity. "Sean, just one broadcaster to another," Colbert said, "if you want to change the subject away from Donald Trump, maybe don't go to footage that is so clearly a metaphor for his administration — just a car crash you can't tear your eyes away from." Colbert's "Real News Tonight" fake-news team paid homage to Hannity, and may have outdone him. Watch below. Peter Weber