Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel are bemused at Rudy Giuliani stopping Trump from seizing voting machines
Tuesday was the first day of Black History Month, but "unfortunately, 14 states" are celebrating "with new rules that limit how teachers can teach Black History Month — or as the teachers will now be forced to call it: Month," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show. "Speaking of trying to erase history, we're learning more about former President Coup-ssolini" and his efforts to use U.S. national security agencies to seize voting machines in 2020.
"To be clear," Donald Trump "wanted U.S. troops to go into your local polling place, grab the machines, throw them in a truck, and then God knows what? Waterboard them until they say he won?" Colbert said. "You should be alarmed even if you voted for him, because military coups do not lead to healthy societies. No one ever says, 'If only we could emulate the economic miracle that is Myanmar!'"
In Trump's "four years in office, this may be the thing he worked hardest on," Colbert said. But deploying the military was a step too far even for Rudy Giuliani. "Do you know how crazy you have to be to hear that you've gone too far from Rudy Giuliani?" he asked. "That's like hearing you've had too much to drink — from Rudy Giuliani!"
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.

Yes, "you know you've gone to far when you make Recount Dracula think twice," Jimmy Kimmel said on Kimmel Live. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence "is in the doghouse with his former owner, Donald Trump." After claiming over the weekend that Pence had the power to overturn the election in his favor, he said, Trump today "went about eight steps further with what is certainly among the Top 5 craziest statements made by a former president of the United States."
"You understand he's calling for an investigation of his own vice president," Kimmel said. "This is like Bonnie calling for an investigation into Clyde. And the saddest part is, Mike Pence is so pathetic, he'd probably agree."

"Trump's advisers have convinced him to stop promoting vaccines because they're worried it could alienate his supporters," Jimmy Fallon said at The Tonight Show. "Don't worry, to win back his non-science supporters, Trump's gonna stare at an eclipse again. That's right, Trump is desperate right now, he's like, 'I"ll do anything in this whole flat world to win you guys back.'"
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.
-
Gene Hackman: the death of a Hollywood legend
The French Connection actor had an extraordinary gift for making characters believable
By The Week UK Published
-
5 confrontational cartoons about Zelenskyy at the White House
Cartoons Artists take on diplomatic fashion, card games, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 8, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arab leaders embrace Egypt's Gaza rebuilding plan
Speed Read The $53 billion proposal would rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinian residents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Germany's conservatives win power amid far-right gains
Speed Read The party led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election; the primary voter issues were the economy and immigration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia frees US teacher Marc Fogel in murky 'exchange'
Speed Read He was detained in Moscow for carrying medically prescribed marijuana
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas pauses Gaza hostage release, upending ceasefire
Speed Read Hamas postponed the next scheduled hostage release 'until further notice,' accusing Israel of breaking the terms of their ceasefire deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Baltic States unplug from Russian grid, join EU's
Speed Read Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity grid to join the EU's network
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 11 killed in Sweden adult ed school shooting
Speed Read The worst mass shooting in Swedish history took place in Orebro
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published