Stephen Colbert asks Chelsea Clinton how her family is coping with Trump being president

Stephen Colbert interviews Chelsea Clinton

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

published 6 March 2018

Chelsea Clinton was on Monday's Late Show to talk about her new children's book, She Persisted Around the World, but of course that's not where Stephen Colbert began the conversation. "Now, your family has a particularly unique relationship emotionally to the fact that Donald Trump is president of the United States," he said. "Stephen, I think that a lot of us have pretty unique emotional relationships to the fact that Donald Trump is president," Clinton genially fired back.

Colbert asked what the Clinton family does to cope with Trump, what kind of conversations they have, and Clinton talked about policy and candidates. "Unfortunately, this administration is kind of the collision of cruelty and incompetence," she said at the end of a lengthy answer. "Does your entire family speak in paragraphs?" Colbert asked, practically begging her to show some anger. She declined.

"There has been some criticism of Ivanka Trump recently, of her role in the White House, or whether she should have a role in the White House," Colbert said. "You were 20 when your father left office, but certainly you understand what it's like to be the child of the president. Were you asked to fix Middle East peace at any point?" Clinton said she was mostly asked about her homework, and when Colbert pressed, she said she thinks Ivanka Trump is fair game for criticism regarding her decisions or President Trump's policies, as with his other employees. Colbert asked if Clinton and Ivanka are still friends. They were friends, she said, but "I haven't spoken to her in a long time," and policy has definitely clouded their friendship. 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.