Stephen Colbert knows Trump's madcap antics are a distraction from impeachment, jokes about both


Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal Biden fixer, has been airing some pretty out-there conspiracy theories, The Late Show illustrated Monday night.
In fact, over the weekend, "the president and his allies all journeyed to the mountains of madness, where all meaning was devoured in the cavernous maw of stupid, and they all got on the crazy train for one reason: To try to confuse everyone about a very simple story," Stephen Colbert said in his monologue. "It's Don and the Giant Impeach: Once upon a time, Donald Trump called the president of Ukraine and asked the foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden. The end — of his presidency, you would think."
"We know this because a whistleblower whistle-blew, and the White House released a transcript that confirmed everything the whistleblower said," Colbert recounted. "It's all in the new movie I Know What I Did Last Summer and Now You Do Too Because I Released the Transcript. It's a good movie — scary." With the story now out in the open, all that's left for Trump is diversion and intimidation. Colbert dove in, reading some of Trump's frantic tweet-blizzard, including where the president threatened the whistleblower and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), misused the word "spy," and retweeted a shark-themed Trump parody account.
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.
"This afternoon at the White House, Trump tried to clear things up — unfortunately, he used his mouth, so it got more confusing," Colbert said. Abnormally, Trump exited the Oval Office before the press, to avoid questions. "I gotta say, even in a small dose, it's great to see Trump leave office," Colbert said. He ended on late-breaking news that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on the Ukraine call, too: "What was it, some sort of party line? 'Do you want to coerce a foreign leader into being your dirty little political opposition researcher? Or are you a naughty secretary of state who just likes to listen in? Call 1-900-QUID-PRO-QUICKIE.'" Watch below. Peter Weber
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.
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talks
Speed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
August 18 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Vladimir Putin meeting with Donald Trump, RFK Jr. honoring the spread of germs, and WNBA fans
-
Jonathan Powell: who is the man behind Keir Starmer's foreign policy?
Today's Big Question Prime minister's national security adviser is a 'world-class operator'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
A long weekend in Zürich
The Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show