Stephen Colbert adjudicates the 1st Biden-Trump showdown in Iowa

Stephen Colbert on the Biden-Trump showdown in Iowa — (Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

"Today's a big day for the 2020 election — Donald Trump and Joe Biden were both in Iowa," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show, "either because it's the first primary state or because Kevin Costner needed more old guys to walk out of the corn field." Biden hit Trump by saying, among other things: "Donald, it's not about you. It's about America." Yes, Colbert said, "Biden's right, it's not about Donald — which is why Biden, in his speech, talked about Trump only 76 times. The only person talking more about Donald Trump than Joe Biden is Donald Trump, and me."

But Biden is right that the cashiers at Target understand tariffs and economics better than Trump, Colbert said, "though to be fair, the cashiers at Target also know more about foreign policy, labor relations, and how to close an umbrella." Meanwhile, "Trump didn't even wait to get to Iowa before attacking Biden," Colbert said. He laughed at Trump calling Biden not very smart, and made a geopolitical puppetry joke about Trump calling Biden a "dummy." You can watch that below. Peter Weber

YouTube

Watch On

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

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.