Stephen Colbert: Trump’s pardon plan signals the end is near

Stephen Colbert examined what potential pardons say about President Donald Trump’s mindset

When it comes to conceding the election, President Donald Trump may be saying and doing two different things. Stephen Colbert’s monologue examined how a wave of potential pardons contradicts what the president says publicly.

President Trump’s Twitter account continues to contend that the election was rigged and there is no possible way that he could have lost his lead over former Vice President Joe Biden. However, a lack of evidence and citing “bookies” has not been a successful legal strategy for the current president.

Reports from the White House seem to indicate that President Trump has privately acknowledged that he will no longer be president on Jan. 20. Everything from plans to launch his own news network to the idea of a rally during Joe Biden’s inauguration has been floated in recent weeks.

Last night on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert’s monologue covered the latest evidence that President Trump isn’t planning on four more years. The president’s apparent curiosity regarding pardons tells Colbert that reality is finally, finally setting in:

Colbert correctly points out that planning pardons for everyone around the White House is a signal that President Trump has finally read the writing on the wall. The Late Show host compares the president’s behavior to that of a 90-year-old grandpa crossing items off his bucket list, not his “I’m going to live forever” list.

Stephen Colbert also sees people trying to distance themselves from President Trump

Perhaps President Trump has been struck by the holiday spirit. That could explain why he appears to be so eager to hand out pardons, whether people want them or not. According to reports, the president has brought up pardoning people he’s interacted with despite these people thinking they’ve committed any crimes.

For Colbert, it could be another telling indication of President Trump’s decline. The Late Show host has argued for years that the president doesn’t do anyone a favor if it doesn’t benefit himself. Pardoning others could be an attempt to secure loyalty or ensure any discussion of criminal activity goes away.

But if those in President Trump’s orbit don’t want the pardons or even to be mentioned in the same breath as pardons, it could signal that people want to distance themselves from the president. Colbert notes that some are worried about damage to their public persona if they accept a pardon or are in discussion for one.

It is a far cry from the cult-like loyalty to President Trump that Colbert has described in the past. Perhaps everyone has finally come to the realization that the current president won’t have the powers or protection of his office for much longer.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.