Stephen Colbert explains how Trump and America both lost the 1st Trump-Biden debate


Tuesday night was the first presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden — or as The Late Show called it Tuesday night: "Old Man Slap Fight!!!"
Stephen Colbert was as pleased with the debate as his late-night colleagues — which is to say, not at all. "I never thought I'd say this, but I am so looking forward to the vice presidential debate. I mean, for Pete's sake, children watched that!"
"It seemed pretty clear from the beginning that Trump's debate strategy was just to talk over everyone," Colbert said. "And he just kept doing it all night. It reminded me of that time Abraham Lincoln debated a leaf blower." Now, "Joe Biden did get in some zingers," and at one point, "Joe, he just got fed up," he said, but there was also "an interesting moment of civility from Biden," when he called Trump "a clown," then changed it to "a person." "Whew, it's a good thing Joe corrected himself," Colbert said. "He wouldn't want to lose the clown vote. It's also not accurate: If Trump was a clown, he'd have a much more professional face paint."
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.
"One of the most telling, one of the most upsetting moments not only of the night but of my lifetime," Colbert said, was "when the president of the United States was asked simply to condemn white supremacy," and he just "didn't do it! 'I don't support white supremacists, I just command them.'"
"After an hour and a half of soul-pulverizing menace, I feel like I did coming out of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace — how can we possibly do this two more times?" Colbert asked. "Ultimately, I think the American people, they were hurt tonight. And if you look online, they're angry, because this is a serious moment where human lives and the future of this irreplaceable country is on the line," and Trump delivered "one and a half hours of chaos and lies."
Seth Meyers taped Late Night before the debate, so he was still able to joke about it — pretty presciently, it turns out: "The topics included coronavirus response, mail-in ballots, Hunter Biden, taxes, Hunter Biden, climate change, the Supreme Court, and Hunter Biden. According to a new poll, 41 percent of voters expected President Trump to win tonight's debate; the other 59 percent think he'll lose and claim the loss on his 2020 tax returns." 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.
-
'A symbol of the faceless corporate desire'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Say farewell to summer at these underrated US lakes
The Week Recommends Have one last blast
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandate
Talking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
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