Colbert: Donald Trump has turned clemency into reality TV
By Jeremy Dick
![The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, courtesy of CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, courtesy of CBS](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2050e439693aee7f862c20af213215c027795b9ebca50baeedda89d428e3dc7f.jpg)
As Stephen Colbert explained on last night’s Late Show, Donald Trump’s presidency is looking more and more like The Celebrity Apprentice.
It’s hard to even tell what’s real anymore.
Yesterday, as Stephen Colbert explained on last night’s Late Show, Donald Trump actually did something positive. Using his presidential power, Trump pardoned a great-grandmother who had been given a life sentence in prison for a first time drug offense. But why did Trump grant her release? Because of a White House meeting he had with, of all people, Kim Kardashian.
“So executive clemency is now just reality TV,” Colbert laments, imagining Trump hosting a new show called The Pardoner. And that was just one of many pardons to be dished out by the president, including approving one in particular at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone. Bringing more celebrities into the mix, Trump has also talked about pardoning Martha Stewart, and the president is clearly enjoying this role quite a bit.
According to sources close to the president, Trump is becoming obsessed with pardons. Colbert jokes that at least it takes away from Trump’s other favorite discussion topic: “Don’t you think my daughter is hot?” Colbert then says, “Pardon me,” in his best Trump voice, before then just joking that he pardons himself. It’s easy to forget that we’re talking about the president of the United States here, and not just some wacky character on a reality TV show…
You can watch the monologue in the YouTube video below.
Next: Stephen Colbert busts some rhymes for Kellyanne Conway
What wacky celebrity will be coming into the White House next? Which one of Trump’s buddies is going to wind up fired? Whatever happens next, you can be sure Colbert will have something to say about it. Tune in when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. EST on CBS.