Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Jimmy Fallon goof on Biden's $1 trillion coin, other budget dilemmas
"The big story today is all the stuff that might possibly happen soon, or not," Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday's Late Show. "Take the debt ceiling. If Congress doesn't raise our country's borrowing limit by Oct. 18, the entire American economy will have a cataclysmic meltdown. It would be an easily avoidable, unthinkable act of self-destruction — so, highly likely."
Democrats are considering a series of evasive maneuvers, like axing the filibusters for debt-ceiling votes. And "possibly adjusting the filibuster rules has Mitch McConnell shaking in his orthopedic wingtips, so earlier today McConnell said his party would allow an extension of the federal debt ceiling into December," Colbert said. "They're willing to avoid blowing up the world's financial system — until Christmastime. So, everybody remember to ask Santa for a functional economy."
The Biden administration could also solve the crisis with a $1 trillion coin. "Now, I'm no U.S. Treasury expert, but please do it. Make the coin, and make it as big as a manhole cover," Colbert said. "Fill it with chocolate, and let the Democrats win it in a high-stakes game of dreidel." Also, he added, "I think there's something so fitting about Biden fixing this by just pulling a coin out of thin air."
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.
The Late Show also had some ideas on what the $1 trillion coin should look like.
The Tonight Show's Tariq Trotter cut Jimmy Fallon off when he started discussing the debt ceiling, but Fallon did discuss the spending part of the equation. "To get more moderate Democrats on board, President Biden is scaling back the spending in his $3.5 trillion economic plan," he said. "Biden is every person on a home renovation show. He's like, 'I want new countertops, a finished basement, and a remodeled bathroom, that's all. And the host is like, 'All right, your budget is $800.' 'Okay, I'll take a new shower head.'"
"The Democrats are fighting with each other over how to spend the government's money, and the Republicans don't want them to be spending any money," Trevor Noah said at The Daily Show. "As always, whenever there's a debate in America, the two sides retreat to their echo chambers," and "I'm guilty of that too." So he brought on his alter-ego/brothers, the right-wing "Trevarious" and lefty "Trey," to discuss the Democrats and their spending plan — and in the end, they did agree on one thing.
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.
-
Political cartoons for January 4Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a resolution to learn a new language, and new names in Hades and on battleships
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Israel approves new West Bank settlementsSpeed Read The ‘Israeli onslaught has all but vanquished a free Palestinian existence in the West Bank’
-
US offers Ukraine NATO-like security pact, with caveatsSpeed Read The Trump administration has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive from NATO
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
