Stephen Colbert shocked by Trump, Pelosi, and Schumer’s Oval Office clash

Just when he thought he’d seen it all, Stephen Colbert was surprised by the latest circus surrounding President Donald Trump.

Since taking over The Late Show Stephen Colbert has turned the CBS program into something of a Daily Show-light in covering politics on a nightly basis. The top of every show is dedicated to the latest quote, tweet, or cabinet turnover from President Trump’s White House. And it’s paid off for Colbert in the ratings department.

So for a host like Stephen Colbert, who has dedicated himself to analyzing and satirizing everything Trump, to be surprised by something is in itself surprising. Yet that was the case following Tuesday’s Oval Office clash between President Trump and Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. 

What was supposed to be a private conference turned into a reality show rather quickly when Trump invited the press into the room. He wasn’t expecting things to get heated as evident by how unprepared he was and the complete lifelessness displayed by Vice President Mike Pence. Stephen Colbert certainly wasn’t expecting anything like that as evident by last night’s monologue:

When the comedians who inject humor into these situations start getting thrown off, you know things are getting weird. Colbert is not the first late night host to admit when he’d thought he had already seen it all. Just a couple months ago, Jimmy Kimmel noted he was fed up with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders after she tweeted out a doctored video of CNN reporter Jim Acosta.

Still, Colbert and his teams were able to showcase their professionalism by coming up with some of their best lines in recent memory. Jokes comparing President Trump to Alexa and a reference to urine in Russia were very well done.

Whether you agree or not with President Trump about the need for a wall, there is one thing he said that was true. Why not have these debates in public or in front of the press. Yes, there is something to be said about the sanctity of the Oval Office so perhaps that isn’t the ideal setting. But why not let us see what our elected officials are saying to each other on the issues that matter the most?

Once he sees the tape of his clash with Pelosi and Schumer, President Trump may have the answer. He isn’t exactly known for being quick on his feet or skilled in nuance debate. All the more reason to have these talks out in the open. At the very least, they’re entertaining. The more we see, the less likely we are to be shocked and surprised like Stephen Colbert.