Stephen Colbert’s Late Show has had an interesting, albeit mostly uneventful history with regards to Hillary Clinton. Before the top Democratic presidential candidate earned the “presumptive nominee” distinction for her decisive primary and caucus wins over rival Bernie Sanders, she stopped by the show in October to try out her latest talking points. Six months later, she sat down with Colbert for a comfortable pre-taped segment emphasizing the host’s ability to mouth a slice of cheesecake more than the White House hopeful’s platform. The bits were decidedly less jokey (and critical) than those featuring Sanders, Donald Trump, and even John Kasich, hence why the former Comedy Central star’s tone on Monday was a bit of a surprise.
For a round of “Stephen Colbert Takes the Gloves Off,” the 52-year-old comedian took Jay Leno-esque pot shots as Clinton’s ongoing email scandal. Jokes delving into recent and, in social media years, ancient trends like Beyonce’s Lemonade, the infamous Richard Gere gerbil rumor, and more.
Highlights include:
- “Secretary Clinton, you are so untrustworthy that Beyonce is working on a concept album about you.”
- “That’s like Richard Gere going to the pet store and hovering around the gerbil aisle.”
- “You’re so bad at running for president that the only person you could beat is Donald Trump.”
They’re… something. However, considering that it’s only Tuesday, let’s hope this “Gloves Off” segment doesn’t signal a repeat of the Late Show host’s recent bad week in the gig created and perfected by David Letterman. Besides, with the Republican and Democratic party conventions just around the corner, perhaps Colbert’s promised live shows will do the trick.
