Colbert's Late Show remixes Biden's inauguration playlist into a not-subtle farewell message for Trump

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

last updated 20 January 2021

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris really did create a playlist of 46 songs for Wednesday's inauguration of the 46th president. Stephen Colbert's Late Show made some changes to the playlist Tuesday night. It's "a well-rounded mix of classic hits and in no way a cryptic jab at the outgoing administration" nor "a thinly veiled putdown of the soon-to-be ex-president," The Late Show insists. "These songs were selected on their musical merits, not because when read sequentially, they taunt the man who tried to destroy our democracy."

In the real world, President Trump is "particularly upset that Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, and other stars agreed to perform as part of Biden's inaugural celebrations," after Trump's "harsh rhetoric, hard-line immigration policy, and other stances during the 2016 campaign led Hollywood to largely boycott his inauguration," The Washington Post reports. Trump is "a believer in the power of being associated with marquee names," so the snubs apparently stung hard. In comparison, a fake playlist would probably just pinch.

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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.

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