Stephen Colbert nails his final monologue of the Trump era

Stephen Colbert delivered one final monologue with President Donald Trump in office

Last night on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert gave his final monologue while President Donald Trump was in the White House. Colbert absolutely crushed it as he both looked back over the past four years and looked to the future.

Colbert didn’t expect President Trump to make it all four years but the Late Show host was also prepared for what he considered the worst-case scenario. Through each scandal and moments both genuinely horrifying and amusing, Colbert covered it all. He and The Late Show became a voice of reason, an escape, and a source of inspiration for so many people.

Colbert didn’t spend Tuesday night praising The Late Show for what it did over the past four or five years. Instead, the Late Show host said that those watching at home were the real heroes. He explained how using democracy to keep Donald Trump out of the White House should be considered a major accomplishment.

Tuesday’s monologue offered just a brief recap of what has happened under President Trump’s watch. Colbert also revealed the subtle way that The Late Show has been counting down to this day while all of it was going on:

Stephen Colbert has been waiting for this day for a long, long time

It can be a painful reminder to hear about the scandals and chaos that has happened since 2016. The only silver lining for The Late Show is that things like Sharpiegate, the Russia investigation, and more brought out some of the best material from Stephen Colbert and his writers.

And one of the best running bits since 2016 probably went largely unnoticed by fans. Colbert revealed that a countdown to President Trump’s final day in office had been projected on the dome in the Ed Sullivan Theater for the past four years. The move by The Late Show is similar to its current, more obvious protest of censoring the Trump name from the show.

In the end, Colbert didn’t spend too much time rehashing the past four years or what we all witnessed. It echoes his reaction following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in which the comedian was relieved and happy knowing he didn’t have to spend so much time and energy on Donald Trump.

Instead, Colbert closes out his final monologue of the Trump era by mocking the president for the poor turnout expected at his farewell. Focus is then put on the growing number of arrests related to the Capitol attack, a reminder of the final stain on President Trump’s legacy as he leaves office.

Like so many other monologues over the past four years, this one featured a perfect balance of commentary and comedy. Colbert celebrated those who stood up for what was right and condemned those who didn’t, leaving them in the past as he turned his attention to the future.

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