WASHINGTON — In the hours following President Donald J. Trump’s record-setting State of the Union address on Feb. 24 — a sprawling 1 hour and 47 minutes that touched on tariffs, food prices, the Olympics and what the president described as sweeping domestic achievements — Stephen Colbert, the host of CBS’s “The Late Show,” took to the airwaves for an impromptu live monologue that quickly circulated online.
Mr. Colbert, whose program has long positioned itself as a sharp critic of Mr. Trump’s political style, described the speech as “a dark speech filled with divisive lies” and suggested it was unlikely to sway voters already weary of the administration’s turbulence. “These are always kind of rough with Trump,” Mr. Colbert remarked early in the segment, joking that he had prepared by consuming an edible to “smooth things out” before tuning in. The quip, delivered with his characteristic deadpan delivery, underscored the exhaustion some late-night hosts express when covering the president’s lengthy orations.
The monologue arrived at a moment when Mr. Trump’s approval ratings hover in the mid-30s, according to recent polls, and his second term has been marked by policy clashes, including a Supreme Court ruling against unilateral tariffs and ongoing debates over entitlement programs. Mr. Colbert highlighted passages in which the president demonized Democrats and touted measures that resulted in millions losing access to food stamps, framing them as emblematic of a broader pattern of polarization.
While the segment did not feature explosive personal confrontations or on-air humiliations — contrary to viral headlines circulating on lesser-known websites — it fit comfortably within Mr. Colbert’s established satirical framework. He dissected the speech’s length and content, questioning whether Mr. Trump was veering into “community calendar” territory with references to upcoming global events like the World Cup. The host’s verdict was grim: the address offered “really wasn’t much new material” and seemed calibrated more for the president’s core base than for broader persuasion.
Reactions to Mr. Colbert’s commentary split along familiar lines. Supporters of the president dismissed it as yet another example of “Trump derangement” in liberal media, while admirers praised its timeliness and bite. Online, clips of the monologue garnered millions of views within hours, fueling discussions about the role of late-night television in an era of fragmented news consumption.
The episode also highlighted the precarious position of legacy media figures like Mr. Colbert, whose show faces an end date in May amid industry shifts and network pressures. Recent reports suggest tensions between the host and CBS executives, though Mr. Colbert has continued his unfiltered approach in the program’s final months.
In a political landscape where presidential addresses double as campaign events, Mr. Colbert’s response served as a reminder of comedy’s enduring — if polarizing — place in holding power to account. Whether viewed as reckless provocation or overdue accountability, the segment captured the persistent divide over how Mr. Trump’s rhetoric is received: as bold leadership to some, as dangerous division to others.
As the dust settles from the State of the Union, the broader question remains: In a nation still grappling with the consequences of polarized discourse, can satire bridge the gap — or does it merely widen it?
