Donald Trump appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, part of Colbert’s ongoing political-interview series. I’m not sure what I was expecting from Colbert, but it wasn’t this softball interview, quite honestly. Trump stepped in birther sh-t last week yet again when a Trump supporter stood up at one of his events and said “We have a problem in this country — it’s called Muslims. You know our current president is one. You know he’s not even an American.” And Trump didn’t disagree. When asked about it on Meet the Press, Trump basically said that President Obama would never defend him (Trump), so why should Trump defend Obama? So, I guess I was expecting Colbert to go a little bit harder on Trump about the revival of all of this stupid birther nonsense. Instead, Colbert let Trump talk a lot of nonsense about immigrants, then at the end, Colbert softballed him about the birther stuff.
Colbert asks: “I’m gonna throw you up a big fat meatball for you to hit out of the park right now … Barack Obama, born in the United States?” Trump replies: “I don’t talk about it anymore. I talk about jobs, I talk about our veterans being horribly treated — I just don’t discuss it anymore.” Yeah, he won’t discuss it anymore… until tomorrow, I’m sure.
Most people are questioning why Colbert handled Trump with kid gloves. I think it’s probably because the Trump campaign still has some steam (unfortunately) and Colbert wants Trump to come back as a guest, don’t you?
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
the question is not why a COMEDY/TALK show treats Trump with kid gloves.
It’s why all the mainstream media does.
preach
“Donald Trump is a drug-taking pedophile.
And I’m not going to talk about it any more.”
Throw a bomb, then step away. That’s what Trump does.
Very good point.
Thank you.
And actually, I don’t think he really treated him with kid gloves. Plenty of jokes at his expense. That is what a comedy / talk show does.
Related, I really liked the performance by the musical guest Raury. And loved even more that he came out wearing a Mexico national futbol team jersey with the word Trump on the back crossed out. I’m a new fan.
Nice. I hadn’t seen that, but I looked it up on your recommendation, thank you!
Hilarious too how he says, “You’d better run, run from the devil” – Then he turns around and he’s got the King of Racists x’d out on his back. hahahahaha Excellent.
It was SUBTLE and NUANCED.
A lot of people don’t get that.
That’s why they enjoy stuff like “Two and a Half Men.”
I think that’s happening less and less so, the more obnoxious he becomes. But as long as he’s good for a soundbite, people are going to keep calling him.
Morning Joe’s obsession with him is enough to drive anyone crazy. So ratings-driven.
His manners are non-existent. I wonder if the press just takes a pass because no matter how they treat him, he’s always going to behave like a jackass. Why would anyone invest a vote in this man?
exactly
I am gobsmacked that this moron (moran?) is still in the race. I honestly thought by now he would have gotten into a fistfight with someone on camera and that would have been the end to this ghastly exhibition. How is RNC Chair Reince Priebus not lurking somewhere with a dart gun to take Trump out?
Right beside you. I thought that when he said he would figure out his foreign policy after he was elected, people might jump off the train but, no. I’m mystified.
It says a lot about the extreme right-wing of American voters. They truly believe what Trump says – blacks, Mexicans and Muslims are “ruining the country.” It scares me a lot – the rhetoric sounds like 1930s Germany. It’s certainly the same mind-set and these people are brainwashed on hatred and bigotry. Trump’s supporters would go Lord of the Flies on the rest of us in a second if they thought they could get away with it.
You’re absolutely right, Buzz. When I hear people ask Trump how he’s going to “deal” with the Muslims in the USA… It makes my flesh crawl.
What a joke this man is!
I think Colbert “softballed” it because he is now a late night show host, not the biting political satire show host he used to be. And people are confused about this.
Sigh. I miss the biting wit on the Colbert Report.
Me too.
He might be sitting back and being a good host to play the long game. At some point Trump is going implode, step in it, or just continue on being him at which point a person like Colbert could potentially sink his populous ship; a situation similar to what Tina Fey did to Sarah palin last election cycle.
why be lazy and shoot the fish in a barrel when you could hold out for moby dick, kind of more of colberts style. I hope he ruins trump publicly.
I very much like this idea.
Why does this annoying blond oompa loompa get away with such rubbish?
Hillary Clinton started the Obama birther movement. Hahahaha!
I thought that had been disproven, yet reanimated by Cruz and now this dipshit.
it has been disproven.
some of her supporters in 2008 pushed that angle, but she and her campaign never did. and when asked about it, she did a McCain, not a Trump.
and even if that were true it is no excuse for Trump’s ugly racism.
Disappointed that Colbert pulled his punches.
Maybe he did that to make a point. Asking tough questions is for real journalists. So called real journalists probably tuned in to watch Colbert mop the floor with Trump and were disappointed that he did not. Hopefully they realized then that it’s actually their job to do that and not his.
Colbert has been VERY hard on Trump over the years and has made a bunch of very pointed Trump jokes in the past two weeks…here, I think he was just giving Trump more rope to hang himself– letting him go on & on about that ridiculous wall- LOTS of rope. The night before he was similarly polite to Ted Cruz, but, again, just letting these intolerant to the point of perpetual brain farting dudes spew is the best way to get the poison out- they show the world who they are. When Colbert mentioned to Cruz (who was painting himself the new Reagan- as so many of these repubs do) that Reagan raised taxes a ton, had amnesty programs for immigrants, and cooperated with Democrats, Cruz acted like Colbert hadn’t stated these FACTS & barrelled on- yeah…keep giving these douches the rope. If hateful crazies still want to vote them in, then the majority of folks (Dem or Repub), who are REASONABLE people- need to mobilize and not let the fringe push us into destroying the world. As Colbert said in his monologue last night (sic)- I told my daughter that I would be interviewing the LAST president of the US tonight- if that isn’t a diss, I don’t know what is. BTW- I LOVED Raury’s Mexico jersey & you can bet Colbert did, too- fantastic performance, too.
Really – you are right. I just watched both interviews & they went down as you described. I also watched Colbert’s day after the Repub Sept 16th debate, and Colbert jumped all over Trump for joking about Rand Paul’s looks. Colbert said something like, who are you to put down anyone’s looks, you giant melting orange circus peanut and a string of other stuff “candy corn head”? & other various orangey insults. Then he said, see you on Sept 22nd, sir!
Trump has disrupted my tranquil home. I’m staunchly liberal and my husband has gone to the dark side. He’s a Trump supporter.we have had some crazy heated debate over Trump. I’m pissed off that this is happening. I want my husband back! The nice social liberal that I married is gone. Thanks a lot Trump, you ahole!!!!
I also know some friends, who I have always known to be intelligent, socially conscious people, whom are supporting Trump. It shocked me to find out! My only explanation is everybody is so sick of the partisan politics going on, and they feel Trump is not a politician and they would rather hear somebody being honest rather than typical political speech.
Except this man is the antithesis of honest.
yeah, that whole “he’s being honest” is such crap. the only thing he’s being honest about is his bigotry and misogyny. why you’d want to support someone like that is beyond me. so he’s honest about being a bigot? YAY! why not just run David Duke, if it’s honesty you want?
most of what he spews is either an outright lie or completely vague (“we’ll look into that…I have a great plan for it” type of stuff).
Yes, but to some people unfiltered=honest.
Personally, I can’t decide if he’s an unhinged lunatic or if he’s brilliant and figured out the country would fall for this and he is playing a part. It’s just baffling to me the appeal he has to some.
Oh aims, what are you going to do? Isn’t there some sort of clause about this?
I don’t know, but it’s freaking me the HELL out!!!! He also uses the excuse that Trump is a straight shooter, BLAH BLAH BLAH!
Hm. We might need to stage an intervention. Hell we might have to move! 😛
I don’t know your relationship dynamic so I don’t know how bad it is, but if my bf were supporting a bigot/misogynist/birther/a**hole like this, I’d have to break up with him until after the election. not joking, either. I’d have serious doubts about our compatibility if he went that way. sorry you have to deal with that. 🙁
Aims, I have the same issue. What happened to my boyfriend who used to just parrot my political views and be a nice sweet liberal? Why has Trump hijacked his (or what’s left of) his brain? I want my normal bf back, because even though we’ve been together for 12+ years, I won’t stand for this crap. He can take a hike until after the election or he can return to normal. His choice.
Maybe that’s what needs to happen. I’ll go on a sabbatical until the election is done.. lol. For the sake of my marriage and sanity.
@aims
This makes me think of James Carville and Mary Matalin. He is a left wing liberal and she is a right wing conservative (dare I say she falls in the Tea Party category). They have been married for over 20 years and they have a rule that they are to *never* discuss politics. EVER! Maybe you & your husband should adopt this rule. 😉
@aims LOL…….
But IMO I think people such as your husband are starting to like people with no filters. Trump says what he wants and he is unapologetic. He says what a lot of people are thinking but are afraid to say. Just like on the post yesterday some of us were saying we are so tired of celebs apologizing every time someone finds their comments or jokes offensive. You said it, own it and move on. Trump does that. He’s not going to issue some half ass apology to appease the masses, especially if he doesn’t mean it. He’s a new kind of want to be politician and I think he’s refreshing to a lot of conservatives as well as some undecided parties.
I myself said Trump is a joke but the poles are showing us that the joke will be on us if this man is the Republican frontrunner and end up being our President. I think in the early stages when Trump was undecided as to which party he would run under the other contenders were somewhat afraid to really go after him. They didn’t want to piss off The Donald in fear that with all his early polls stats (which had him leading) he would run as an independent.
Hopefully people will come to their senses and realize that Trump is not fit to run any country.
Can you imagine Trump’s wife as the first lady? The only thing she would have to say is “Aflac” 🙂
I always wondered what the electoral college would do if someone like Trump got elected. Technically they do not have to vote the same way the public does.
I am staunchly, I mean very staunchly independent. Which to me means I dislike both sides and find that they are all a pack of lying hypocrites. Anyway my conservative husband thinks I am raging liberal because I am pro choice and support LBGT rights. On a lot of other issues I am pretty conservative so go figure. Oh and I support Planned Parenthood big time, which makes him crazy.
If my husband was more liberal he would think I was a right wing nut job because I support some very few conservative ideas.
We are such a partisan nation, its really scary. Don’t let politics tear apart any relationship. The people running are always playing to their more extreme base. The more moderate of the party then vote for whoever is nominated in their party.
I’m very much like you. I hate both sides. LOL
Good luck- yes, people do get intrigued with the seemingly “plain spoken” aspect of Trump, but, Trump is also a proven liar- many, many times over and an unrepentant HYPOCRITE. Screaming about sending immigrants “back” along with ALL their families- what about 2 of his 3 wives- can he PROVE they were here legally? There is far less “proof” of that than of Pres Obama’s birth place. Aren’t all his kids but one (Tiffany has ‘Murican mother) ANCHOR BABIES? Can he PROVE that he has never hired an “illegal”? Who build his hotels? All his tacky clothing lines & other crap are made in China. You can tell hubby the Charlie Manson also “spoke his mind”…
Aims! That’s awful. Tell him to listen to how Trump speaks & what he really says. It’s all hot air that’s not even intelligently put together. Have him watch online the New Hampshire Town Hall meeting from Sept 17 – I watched it because I’m depressed & wanted some laughs. But seriously, DT doesn’t address the questions. None of them do, but he’s particularly terrible at it. He hasn’t really given a good answer for anything, ever, yet – besides supposedly not having any influence from lobbyists, corps & special interest groups since he’s using his “billions” for his run.
I almost wish there was a GOP debate once a week. At least the last one got that idiot Scott Walker to drop out. I’m not voting for any of these fools, but I like to watch them fight.
My take is that if by some insane reason Trump gets elected there are some very dark times ahead not only for the U.S. but the world. It also shows the insanity of people that support him and the scary part is that this group is not only very vocal but a sizeable one. The rest of us in the western democracies look at this with a horror and jaws dropped that such a moron could get this far. Clearly these elections will go down in history as driven by entertainment and social media only. We got a smaller dose of this with the Palin fiasco a few years ago. She surely paved the road for Trump…
We in the U.S. are very good at voting against our best interests in favor of a sound bite. Sometimes I feel our country is so large geographically we lose sight that there is a larger world in which we coexist. We think in terms of states rights rather than global issues as if they are physically too far away to matter.
Trump is dangerous in my view because he appeals to a short sighted xenophobic group of people who foolishly believe dampening the rights of others strengthens and solidifies their own. In reality we all lose by ending up in a more restrictive and repressive society for ALL.
The Donald Trumps, Ben Carsons, Sarah Palins and Kim Davis’ need to sit down and stop. Ben Carsons remarks on having a Muslim president because Sharia Law is inconsistent with our constitution may be technically correct but I’m not sure how Muslim can be elected POTUS and just institute Sharia law. Because of, you know, the constitution and the entire way our government and legal system work.
As for The Donald and his birther comments that is more code speak. He needs to just say I don’t like living in a country where the POTUS is black and be done with it. That like it or not, agree with his performance or not he was elected to a second term. Sadly, I believe much of the code speak occurs because there exist a large number of people who have never thought of themselves as being against POC have struggled with having a black president and are not proud at this self discovery. It’s not that I hate black people but…
I don’t agree with all Onama has done nor do I think he has done all he possibly could. No elected official does. I do believe all the vitriol and code speak that surrounds his being a POC leading this nation and the discomfort so many people in this country have with that have forced Obama to walk a very fine line.
On another note while everyone is busting his A$$ about LBGT rights and marriage equality for all and his apparent disregard for the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, hogwash. The Obamas are big on family. I am very proud of them and how they represent us as a country. They have not only provided their daughters with great opportunities they have made certain they avail themselves of their privelage as well as the responsibilities privelage brings. They also make certain their girls are aware they have privelages not entitlements and part of that understanding meansthey have the capacity and responsibility to help who don’t.
I see articles going both ways, suggesting Colbert embarrassed him or went too easy. It just seemed normal to me. Colbert is himself on this show and he has to appeal to a wider range of people.
I don’t know how to write this, but…there is something very off going on in the crotch area in those pics. *ducks*
My tin foil hat is on, I’m listening!
Is that where his intelligence is hiding? It’s all lumpy and stuff.
Hahahaha that or it turns out that the thing on his head is actually a nefarious alien parasite that uses Donald Trump as a host to achieve world destruction.
Damn you mimif for making me look at Trump’s crotch.
You are not forgiven.
There will be retribution!
A fupa?
Nope. The only thing going on in his crotch region is Diapers.
Because he’s full of it.
Hahahaha! And groooooossssss. I’m laughing and crying at the same time thanks to you crazy people.
Oh.
I just had to look up the word “fupa.” And may I say, hahahahahahahahahahaha.
The only way I can think to counter this loser is to start chanting BERNIE! BERNIE! BERNIE! (I’ll show myself out!)
FEEL THE BERN! *chases after Hawkeye*
You know what mimif, let’s come back. Let’s be proud! If Donald Trump’s ridiculousness can be covered, why can’t Bernie Sanders awesome soul food dinner with Larry Wilmore be covered? 🙂
I am proud! I’m a flag waving Berner! 😀
I’m voting for Bernie or Bill the Cat.
No comparison. Bernie has a soul.
And a brain.
I really miss Letterman. He would have torn into Trump with relish. None of the late night hosts can do a political interview like Letterman
Dear some Americans, Obama is Christian. End of.
From the rest of the world.
THIS!
the man supports equal rights for LGBT folks, for women etc…he eats bacon, drinks beer…
WORST. MUSLIM. EVER.
Nice!ly said
YES! And even if he is, SO WHAT if President Obama is Muslim? See: the First Amendment.
True dat.
My take on why Trump can’t/won’t discuss the whole birther thing is because his fellow Republican Ted Cruz was REALLY not born in the US. Cruz was born in Canada and is a US citizen because his mother was born in the US. We know Obama was born in the US, but Trump made a big deal of seeing his birth certificate and got everyone worked up about where Obama was born…skipping over the fact that Obama’s mother was a US citizen making Obama one, regardless of where he was born. The whole mess makes Trump look like a giant jack wagon and he knows it.
Except jackwagon is too mild –
Trump is the stench rising off the shi!twagon that is [not all Republicans but] the current Republican “elite.”
Fox news is the buzzard circling and feeding off the sh!itwagon.
And now I feel sick.
I think Colbert went easy-ish on him b/c he’s not on The Colbert Report, he’s on The Late Show. I think it’s important to realize we’re not seeing the real Steven Colbert and not the character he created for Comedy Central.
Trump is such a staunch believer in his own beliefs that he won’t stick up for his own actions in his birther campaign. Even after the short form of the birth certificate came out, he demanded the long form. Just because.
He expects more obsequious reactions from non-whites than he would from a white man. Did he ask McCain or any other white president for their birth certificates and then a different form after the first form was presented? McCain was born in Panama and was lucky enough to be born a few years after the law was enacted making foreign-born children of American citizens be automatically citizens if they’re born in a military hospital .
Tramp knew that it was the racists pushing this crap and he tried to become their king, basically meaning that he tried hard to be the King of Racists.
Geebus. If Dump becomes president, then the US is gone. We might as well have lost the Revolutionary War. We might as well be a Commonwealth of the UK. At least we would have had national health care.
One vote for EVERYTIME this jackhole is in the news no one mentions him by name.
Call him King of the Racists instead.
I think Colbert is not the character he was before and also that he wouldn’t treat this guy seriously with serious questions because he is a political joke. It is not the same format so we shouldn’t expect the same treatment.
Trump is nuts.
Anyone else see this buffoon after he whines and crys till the spring back out siting family responsibility toll from all his mistreatment? I sure do.
This is a whiner extraordinare. He starts it then backs off and crys when he gets taken to task. He dishes can’t take it.
Arrogant, disrespectful, loud buffoon but seeing as he gets media and it’s given to him non stop, it’s sad that it takes so long and rhetoric by all to find a new leader. What a gong show right now.
More Bernie Sanders please.