🔥 BREAKING: TRUMP MOCKS HARVARD GRADS — STEPHEN COLBERT “RELEASES” A 1965 SAT CARD LIVE, STUDIO GOES WILD ⚡
When President Donald Trump recently criticized Harvard University and questioned the value of elite academic credentials, the remarks quickly reverberated beyond Washington. They reached, as such comments often do, the stage of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where satire has become a nightly form of political response.
Harvard had just publicly resisted certain policy demands from the administration, drawing applause from alumni and critics of federal pressure on universities. Mr. Trump, speaking at a rally and in subsequent comments, pointed to the university’s multibillion-dollar endowment and suggested that elite degrees were overrated markers of intelligence. Billions in federal support, he argued, were difficult to justify for an institution with such vast resources.
The critique tapped into a longstanding populist strain in American politics — skepticism of elite institutions and the people who populate them. But it also ignited a broader conversation about merit, higher education and who gets to define intelligence in a polarized era.
On his CBS program, Stephen Colbert chose not simply to rebut the remarks but to satirize the premise. During his monologue, Mr. Colbert introduced what he described as a 1965 SAT scorecard, displaying it onscreen in a mock-serious reveal. The bit was staged as a kind of archival “release,” a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that standardized test scores from decades past might settle contemporary arguments about intellect.
The audience responded with laughter and applause. The segment quickly circulated on social media, where short clips accumulated millions of views within hours.
As with much of Mr. Colbert’s political material, the humor carried an underlying argument: that intelligence cannot be reduced to a single number and that invoking academic credentials as a political cudgel invites scrutiny of one’s own record. While the host did not claim to be engaging in investigative journalism, the performance borrowed the visual language of documentary revelation — a prop, a camera zoom, a deliberate pause — to underscore its point.
The episode reflects the evolving role of late-night television. From Johnny Carson’s genial quips on “The Tonight Show” to the more pointed satire of Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show,” comedy has long intersected with politics. In recent years, however, hosts have become central participants in national debates, their monologues dissected alongside cable news segments.
Mr. Colbert’s tenure at “The Late Show” has been defined in part by this sharper focus. Ratings surged during the Trump presidency as viewers sought humor that doubled as commentary. The format allows for a blend of indignation and absurdity — a space where a prop SAT card can serve as both punch line and critique.
The reaction to the segment followed familiar lines. Supporters praised Mr. Colbert for defending academic institutions against what they viewed as dismissive rhetoric. Critics accused him of deepening partisan divides and turning entertainment into political advocacy.
Beyond the personalities involved, the moment reopened questions about higher education’s place in American life. Founded in 1636, Harvard remains the nation’s oldest university and one of its most prestigious. Its alumni include presidents, Supreme Court justices and Nobel laureates. Yet in recent years, elite campuses have also faced criticism over rising tuition, perceived ideological homogeneity and their influence in shaping cultural norms.
Mr. Trump’s comments about Harvard’s endowment and federal funding reflect broader debates about the allocation of public resources and the responsibilities of wealthy institutions. Universities receive billions in research grants and student aid, even as they manage endowments that rival the gross domestic product of small nations. For some voters, that disparity fuels resentment.
Standardized testing, meanwhile, has become its own battleground. Once regarded as a central gateway to elite education, the SAT and ACT have faced scrutiny over bias and predictive value. Many universities have adopted test-optional admissions policies in recent years, complicating arguments that hinge on decades-old scores.
Television networks must navigate these tensions carefully. While late-night hosts are not bound by the same standards as news anchors, their influence is undeniable. Clips from monologues can dominate online discourse, shaping perceptions as effectively as formal press conferences.
In the end, Mr. Colbert’s mock release of a 1965 SAT card may be remembered less for the number it displayed than for what it symbolized: the persistent tug-of-war between populism and credentialism, between skepticism of elites and defense of expertise.
Comedy, at its best, distills complex arguments into memorable images. On this night, a single prop — half parody, half provocation — crystallized a debate that extends far beyond one university or one president.
