Stephen Colbert looks at North Korea, wonders if Russia has buyer's remorse over President Trump
Tuesday was Tax Day, or "the day we all release our tax returns to the man who won't release his," Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show. On the usual Tax Day, April 15, thousands of Americans took to the streets to demand that President Trump cough up his returns. "Lovely idea," Colbert said, "but the tax march did not get Trump to release his taxes, much like the women's march did not get Trump to release his women." But Trump did release plenty of tweets, including one demanding to know "who paid for the small organized rallies." Colbert bit: "Yes, who paid for the rallies? I mean, they were authentic and drew people of all ages, so we know it wasn't Pepsi."
He turned to a sunnier topic, North Korea. Trump has put Vice President Mike Pence on the case, but he has his work cut out for him, since a North Korean U.N. representative warned Monday that "thermonuclear war could break out at any moment." Colbert paused. "Now this show pre-tapes, so if you're watching this at home right now, we made it!" he said. "And this time, it isn't North Korea with an erratic trigger-happy leader. According to one Russian official, 'Trump is more impulsive and unpredictable than Kim Jong Un.' Well then, Russia, you should have thought of that before you elected him!"
It's not clear that Trump even knows who Kim is, Colbert said, playing a clip from Tuesday's Fox & Friends in which Trump repeatedly referred to North Korea's leader as "this gentleman." So either Trump doesn't know his name, he said, "or the best nickname he can come up with is 'this gentleman.' And Mr. President, you're known for your nicknames — your Lyin' Ted, your Crooked Hillary — and this guy is a name bonanza!" He had some suggestions.
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Colbert ended with some people who appear to be enjoying the Trump presidency: the Obamas. "Posing for a picture on a yacht?" he said, showing a photo of the former president snapping a photo of his wife. "Wow, Michelle decided to plagiarize Melania for once." Oddly, Colbert added, "the Obamas weren't even the most powerful people on the boat. Because joining them on the super-yacht were Oprah, as well as Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen. That is nearly all of America's strategic likability reserve. I just pray to God they put Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson in a secure location." Watch below. Peter Weber
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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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