In a recent episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the host delved into the highly anticipated meeting between President Joseph Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting, the first conversation between the two leaders in a year, was expected to address trade tensions and other global flashpoints. Both sides tried to play it cool, setting expectations low and stating that there would be no joint statement after the meeting.
Colbert pointed out that China had a good reason to engage in talks with America: its struggling economy. With anemic consumer spending and high youth unemployment, China has been facing economic challenges for several years. To emphasize this point, Colbert humorously quipped that even second graders couldn’t get a job at the iPhone factory.
Shifting gears to domestic politics, Colbert highlighted a glimmer of governance in Washington. The House of Representatives approved a stop-gap measure to avert a government shutdown. This marked the first major legislation passed by the new speaker of the house, Mike Johnson. Johnson’s unique approach involved funding certain government parts until mid-January and others until early February, effectively cutting the can in half rather than kicking it down the road.
While Johnson’s bill was a victory for the new speaker, his Republican colleagues weren’t entirely pleased. The bill lacked spending cuts and required partnership with Democrats, leading to discontent within the party. Colbert humorously mentioned that every time Johnson reaches across the aisle, his son gets an alert on his phone, alluding to potential backlash within the Republican Party.
The segment highlighted the ongoing infighting among Republicans, culminating in some heated exchanges in the halls of power. Colbert humorously referred to it as Washington’s “Fight Club.” There were dust-ups among House Republicans, with Tim Burett challenging former speaker Kevin McCarthy. Burett accused McCarthy of lacking guts, which McCarthy vehemently denied, leading to a comical back-and-forth.
Meanwhile, a near-brawl broke out between Senator Mark Wayne Mullen and the head of the Teamsters, Shawn O’Brien, during a Senate hearing. Mullen, a former MMA fighter, had challenged O’Brien to a fight, only to be stopped by a surprise cameo. The host humorously played with the absurdity of senators fighting on the Senate floor while embodying different animals.
Colbert also mentioned that Mullen went on a media blitz defending his readiness to fight and boldly stated that he was willing to bite if necessary. The humorist commended Mullen’s audacity to declare on television that he will munch on junk for a righteous cause, sarcastically cheering him on for embracing his role as a representative of “Oklahoma values.”
The article also touched on the trend of violence becoming a selling point for the Republican Party, with potential 2024 GOP candidates adopting the strategy in their campaigns. Colbert showcased a satirical campaign ad where a candidate named Patricia Corker, nicknamed “stabby pad,” proudly proclaimed her past crimes and willingness to inflict pain on her enemies. The ad humorously exaggerated the idea of violence as a solution to political problems.
In his usual witty fashion, Colbert wrapped up the segment, stating that they had a great show lined up with guests Paul Giamatti and Tom Fight. He also teased a humorous segment on the latest girl trends explained by a 59-year-old host.
Check out “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to catch all the entertaining and insightful moments from this episode.
