Stephen Colbert slyly notes that Trump is probably right he won't benefit from his tax plan
Wednesday was a big day for President Trump, Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show. "In an attempt to get everybody to forget about his recent big failures, he unveiled his next big failure, tax reform." The tax plan cuts rates for the rich and for corporations, but Colbert said Trump had a point when he claimed it wouldn't benefit him, slipping into Trump voice: "It's not good for me. I mean, it's about taxes — I never pay those. Nothing to do with me."
Trump could use a win, because he got spanked in Alabama's GOP Senate primary on Tuesday, with his candidate, Sen. Luther Strange, losing to Stephen Bannon's candidate, Roy Moore. Trump was "embarrassed and pissed," according to aides, but Colbert had some unkind words of not-quite consolation: "Mr. President, don't be ashamed that your candidate turned out to be a loser — your supporters seem to deal with it pretty well." He ran through some of Moore's views on homosexuality and race. "Moore seems like a troglodyte, but he has the soul of a poet," Colbert said, and he read a Moore-penned poem he found so inspiring he fact-checked it.
The loss in Alabama isn't Trump's only worry, Colbert said, reading from a New York Times report that Trump left his Strange rally last Friday griping about the crowd size and second-guessing his decision to wear a pink tie in Alabama. After imagining Trump deciding that his pink tie was the root of his many problems, Colbert marveled at Trump's insistence that Republicans have the 50 votes they need to pass the health-care bill they've dropped due to a lack of 50 votes, but they can't hold the vote now, because there's a senator in the hospital. "There is nobody in the hospital — we checked," Colbert said. Peter Weber
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published