Stephen Colbert was completely in his element on CBS’s The Late Show, kicking off the first night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday (July 18).
Following a stunt the night before where he crashed the convention stage while impersonating Hunger Games emcee Caesar Flickerman, the comedian and political satirist revived his Colbert Report character—a satire of a blowhard conservative—and brought on former Daily Show host Jon Stewart, whose commentary many have sorely missed during this election cycle.
Opening the show with a pre-taped musical number filmed partially on-site at the convention, Colbert took shots at prominent Republicans ranging from Indiana governor Mike Pence—Donald Trump’s running mate—to Chris Christie and Ben Carson, and, of course, the presumptive Republican nominee himself, Trump (who he called an “orange manatee”). ”The party of Lincoln had better start drinking,” he suggested.
The show was classic Colbert. His monologue mocked Trump and Pence’s much-lampooned 60 Minutes interview and poorly chosen campaign logo (“Get a room you two; just not the oval office”). He hit on the RNC’s lineup of D-list speakers. And he poked fun at the theme of the convention day—”Make America Safe Again”—which he said is a concern for the Republicans because “a few months back, some guy broke in and stole their entire party.”
Colbert’s Comedy Central alter ego, who had apparently been hiding in a cabin with Stewart, came on to explain the Trump phenomenon, riding into the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York on a golden chariot pulled by bare-chested Uncle Sams, while carrying a Captain America-style shield and sword.
Colbert reprised his “the word” segment to coin a new term to describe what drives Trump supporters: “Trumpiness.” The term plays off another term Colbert invented during the second Bush administration, “truthiness,” (video) which means “believing in something that feels true, even if it isn’t supported by fact.” Whereas truthiness has to feel true, however, Trumpiness does not, he said, citing a Washington Post story that shows some Trump fans don’t even believe his pledges to build a wall.
The comedian ended the bit by summing up what fuels the Trump machine: The candidate is “an emotional megaphone for voters full of rage at a government that achieves nothing.”
“And if you don’t share their feeling that you don’t recognize your country anymore,” Colbert added, “trust me, if Trump wins, you will.”
The late-night host will be covering the convention for the rest of the week, and hopes to be “the first to announce the moment when America becomes great again.”