Stephen Colbert has never tousled Trump's hair, and he's currently reaping the benefits. As discussed in his new cover story interview with Hollywood Reporter, Colbert's recent Late Show ratings have placed him at the top of the late-night viewership battle. Colbert would gladly give up the throne, however, in exchange for a new POTUS.
"I would trade good ratings for a better president," Colbert told Hollywood Reporter's Marisa Guthrie during the interview, conducted just after he bagged his ninth consecutive week as host of the most watched late-night show. "How about that? The interesting thing is that when we were prepping all that time, we weren't waiting for Donald Trump. We were waiting for something that everybody cared about. Do you know what I mean? Donald Trump is epoch-making; he changes everything. And so we were ready for something that galvanized people's attention and changed their priorities."
Each week Late Show beats Tonight Show, Colbert and his staff enjoy great amounts of pizza. "And we've bought pizza every week," Colbert said. "How about that? And that's great, but we've [always] got another week of shows to do. Honest to God, it's like, 'Hey! Pizza! But remember: Maybe next week, no pizza.' But it doesn't mean we're not doing great."
Though the election fallout has been an undeniable influence on Colbert's Late Show success, the host argued that Trump himself is not the key. "Because if it's not Donald Trump, it's something else," he explained to THR. "There will be something else that we care about, hopefully happy, possibly tragic. But we're ready to talk about what just happened, whenever it happens now." Trump, Colbert added, "can go with God."
Peep Colbert's full THR interview, including bits on David Letterman and Jon Stewart, right here.
