John Bolton and Stephen Colbert go one-on-one tonight: What to watch for

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight

John Bolton is no stranger to public criticism after over 30 years in government. The former national security adviser to President Donald Trump has now put himself back in the spotlight with his book The Room Where It Happened. He is sure to face even more scrutiny as a guest on tonight’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Efforts by the White House to prevent publication of Bolton’s book only put more attention on the memoir. Excerpts shared by media outlets prove why as it portrays President Trump as incompetent and corrupt.

Late night hosts were quick to react when details from Bolton’s book became public. Stephen Colbert was among them, saying it was worse than he imagined. Even after five years of covering Donald Trump, Colbert still managed to be shocked by Bolton’s stories about President Trump’s behavior behind closed doors.

Tonight, Colbert gets his chance to follow up with Bolton. The former diplomat turned author is a guest on The Late Show in what should be an intriguing interview.

Stephen Colbert has a history of mocking and ridiculing John Bolton

Like everyone else associated with the Trump administration, John Bolton has heard his name in several Late Show monologues. Over the past few years, Stephen Colbert has said that Bolton’s firing was a blessing for the country and criticized Bolton’s book as a cash-grab. Then of course there are the many instances of Colbert comparing Bolton to a “grandpa toothbrush” among other colorful descriptors.

It will be interesting if Colbert brings that same attitude into his interview with Bolton. Fans can expect Colbert to remain respectful and courteous towards his guest but that shouldn’t prevent him from asking tough questions. It may mean that Bolton comes to the Late Show with his guard up or tries to buddy up to Colbert now that Bolton counts himself among President Trump’s critics.

Colbert can look at Bolton’s interview with ABC News that aired on Sunday night. Bolton was asked to review President Trump’s performance in office and didn’t hold back in denouncing the president. Colbert and his staff have had time to review Bolton’s answer and develop their own follow-up questions on Bolton’s contributions to the administration and why he waited to share this information through a book rather than going public earlier.

The interview won’t have much appeal if it turns into Colbert and Bolton both bashing President Trump. Instead, Colbert may put Bolton on the defensive and ask that he defend himself rather than attack the president. The Late Show doesn’t need any help when it comes to exposing the president’s failures so Bolton may need to prepare for Colbert to hold his feet to the fire.

Late Show fans probably recall that this won’t be Colbert’s first interview with Bolton. He’s done a handful of practice interviews with help from Dana Carvey over the years.

What do you expect from Stephen Colbert’s interview with John Bolton? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Be sure to check back with Last Night On for all the highlights.