If Stephen Colbert were Trump, he'd be upset with Mick Mulvaney, too
In a long, televised Cabinet meeting Monday, President Trump tried to defend himself from criticism of his aborted decision to host next year's G7 summit at his own golf resort outside Miami, though "of course it wouldn't be a Trump meeting if it didn't go off on some rambling tangent about his rally crowd size," Stephen Colbert said on Monday's Late Show. But "Trump's not the only one defending his right to blow off the Constitution." So is acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, iffily.
Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday that Trump still thinks he's in the "hospitality business," Colbert said. "But admitting that the president still thinks he's running a for-profit business isn't even Mulvaney's biggest gaffe of that interview." He backed up a bit to explain how, in Trump's eyes, Mulvaney messed up. "Throughout this impeachment inquiry, the company line from the administration has been there was no 'quid pro quo' between Trump and Ukraine," Colbert said. "First of all, you don't need 'quid pro quo,' it's super illegal anyway. And second, yeah, 'quid pro quo,' and on Thursday, Mulvaney admitted it."
"Admitting the thing that Trump is being impeached for turned out to be slightly problematic," so on Fox News Sunday, Mulvaney "unveiled his bulletproof defense: He never actually said 'quid pro quo,'" Colbert said. "He does realize you don't have to say the crime to be guilty of the crime, right? To be convicted of homicide, you don't have to stab somebody while saying, 'Murder, murder, murder, murder.'"
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.
Yeah, Trump probably reversed course on the G7 because "it is a bad idea to commit an impeachable offense when you're already being impeached," Seth Meyers said on Late Night. "That would be like stabbing the bailiff at your murder trial."
Luckily, The Late Show had a suggestion for the G7's venue, now that Trump's golf resort has proved too toxic. Watch below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
Unprepared for a pandemic
Opinion What happens if bird flu evolves to spread among humans?
By William Falk Published
-
6 impressive homes in Toronto
Feature Featuring floating stairs in Lytton Park and a two-tiered infinity pool in Banbury-Don Mills
By The Week Staff Published
-
Samantha Harvey's 6 favorite books that redefine how we see the world
Feature The Booker Prize-winning author recommends works by Marilynne Robinson, George Eliot, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published