June 12, 2017
Even when presenting a Tony Award, Stephen Colbert still found a way to take a jab at President Donald Trump in front of an amused crowd.
Colbert, known to broach the subject a time or two, likened Trump's presidency to a poorly received Broadway musical before he presented the award for Best Revival of a Musical on Sunday night.
"It's been a great year for revivals in general, especially the one they revived down in Washington, D.C.," the "Late Show" host said. "It started off-Broadway in the '80s. Way off Broadway, over on Fifth Avenue, huge production values."
"A couple of problems," he continued after receiving laughs and cheers from the crowd. "The main character is totally unbelievable, and the hair and makeup – yeesh."
Colbert kept up the mockery by hinting toward a possible impeachment of the president down the road. In Trump's first several months in office, his administration has been marred by an investigation into a potential collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia.
"This D.C. production is supposed to have a four-year run, but reviews have not been kind," Colbert said. "[It] could close early. We don't know, we don't know. Best of luck to everyone involved."
He didn't stop there.
As he introduced the nominees, he dubbed "Miss Saigon" as "the only pageant whose locker room our president hasn't walked in on."
Colbert came under fire last month for his Late Show rant that included his saying Trump "has more people marching against you than cancer" and that the only thing his mouth is good for "is being Vladimir Putin's c--- holster."
A number of conservatives, including New Jersey Gov. and former Trump transition head Chris Christie, called for CBS to suspend or take some sort of disciplinary action against the late night host for his comments, especially the Putin comment.
Trump himself joined the foray in an interview with Time Magazine last month, calling Colbert "a no-talent guy."
"There's nothing funny about what he says," Trump said. "And what he says is filthy. And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him."
In a "Daily Show" reunion one week later on Colbert's show, Jon Stewart defended Colbert, his former "Daily Show" correspondent, saying he was only doing his job.
"We can insult. Trump can injure," he said on the May 10 show. "Like, it's the difference between insult and injury. And for the life of me, I do not understand why in this country, we try to hold comedians to a standard we do not hold leaders to. It's bizarre."
