Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel blanch at how close Trump and his lawyers got to stealing the election

Stephen Colbert began Tuesday's Late Show by noting that he won an Emmy on Sunday night, but the celebration was short-lived. "Winning this Emmy was a great way to take my mind off the fact that our democracy is in deep trouble," he said, pointing to revelations in the new Bob Woodward-Robert Costa book. "Peril is full of things you wish you didn't need to know, like that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was worried the ex-president might launch a nuclear strike to distract from the election, that our democracy was saved by Dan Quayle, and that the former president's legal team laid out a six-step plan for Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election."
"This blueprint for a fascist coup" was written by John Eastman, a "disgraced former law professor," Colbert said, describing "how Eastman's evil plan was supposed to work." Yeah, "that's not winning an election, that's grabbing power by a pussy — but when you're a Republican, they let you do it," he said. "Luckily, the former president's legal team did not count on one thing: some Republicans caring if the United States continues."
The Late Show's cold open focused on one particular comment Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) made when rejecting Trump's election-overturning efforts.
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.
Jimmy Kimmel also recapped some of the "bombshell allegations" in Peril on Kimmel Live, reading a mock version of Eastman's "six-step plan explaining how Mike Pence should overturn the results of the election."
"The real memo suggested that Pence use the element of surprise," Kimmel said. "They wanted him to just show up and, without warning, overturn the results of the election, which, I don't know — without asking permission? That seems impossible for Mike Pence. I mean look, Mike Pence is a guy who asks if it is okay to go to the bathroom when he's alone." Eastman argued that the vice president is "the ultimate arbiter" of the Electoral College tally, he added, so "he's basically arguing that the third base umpire can declare himself the winner of World Series."

The fight isn't over, Seth Meyers sighed on Late Night. "Trump sent a letter last week to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to consider decertifying the 2020 election. Dude, just give up. You know you don't have to be president to play golf, right?"
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.
-
Mortgage reform: is Rachel Reeves betting the house on City rules shake-up?
Today's Big Question Reforms could create up to 36,000 additional mortgages next year
-
The 'extraordinary' trials of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
The Explainer Couple claim they were 'misunderstood' after going on the run with newborn baby
-
Is AI killing the internet?
AI-powered browsers and search engines are threatening the death of the open web
-
IDF blames 'error' for strike on Gaza water line
Speed Read Israeli forces attack Palestinians, including children, collecting water in central Gaza
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran