Stephen Colbert Roasts the Trump-Musk Interview: A “Steaming Crap Sandwich”

It was a night that had all the makings of a classic late-night comedy roast. Donald Trump, the former president known for his unfiltered rhetoric, sat down for an interview with Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter). What was supposed to be a conversation on pressing issues turned into a spectacle riddled with technical glitches, offbeat humor, and more than a few eyebrow-raising moments.

A Night for the “Weird Old Rich Guys”

Stephen Colbert, never one to miss an opportunity for sharp wit, kicked off his Tuesday monologue with a jab that set the tone for the night. “It was a big night for weird old rich guys with no friends,” Colbert quipped on “The Late Show,” referring to Trump’s highly anticipated return to X for the interview. This was only Trump’s second appearance on the platform since his infamous ban following the January 6th Capitol attack.

Colbert didn’t hold back, pointing out the awkwardness of Trump returning to a platform that many associate with his role in that dark chapter of American history. He compared it to receiving an invitation to a party with a questionable motive: “It’s like getting a party invitation that says, come celebrate! When? Tuesday. Where? Mason Park. Why? Because I’m finally allowed within 200 yards of a school again!”

The Technical Glitches That Stole the Show

The interview itself got off to a rocky start—nearly 40 minutes late, thanks to some “hilarious” technical difficulties. Colbert, with his usual flair for relatable humor, joked that he wouldn’t wait 40 minutes for anything—unless, of course, it was for the bacon cheese fries from Shake Shack at LaGuardia Airport. “In which case—yes, I will miss my flight.”

When the interview finally began, it wasn’t smooth sailing. Musk blamed the delay on a “massive distributed denial of service” attack that supposedly overwhelmed their data lines. Colbert, ever the skeptic, pointed out that this explanation sounded more like a convenient excuse than the truth. He later noted that sources at X had debunked Musk’s claim, saying there was a “99% chance” Musk had made it up.

A “Steaming Crap Sandwich” of an Interview

Once the technical issues were somewhat behind them, the conversation—or as Colbert aptly described it, “this steaming crap sandwich”—moved forward. Musk had promised a laid-back, softball interview, hoping to give viewers a chance to “catch a vibe” about Trump in a more relaxed setting. But as Colbert noted, Trump’s “normal” way of speaking is anything but. He likened Trump’s voice to that of the cartoon character Sylvester the Cat, with the former president sounding like his cheeks were full of salt-water taffy.

The absurdity didn’t end there. Colbert also took a playful swipe at Barack Obama, who had released his annual summer playlist. The list included tracks like Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” and Charli XCX’s “365.” Colbert, with a grin, remarked that he’d been informed one of these songs was about doing cocaine. He continued the bit by joking about another song on Obama’s list, Blackstreet’s classic “No Diggity,” humorously noting that during Obama’s administration, America enjoyed historically low rates of “Diggity.”

Seth Meyers Weighs In

Over on “Late Night,” Seth Meyers was quick to add his own take on the Trump-Musk interview. He pointed out that Trump made at least 20 false claims during the conversation, starting with his greeting: “It’s great to be here.” Meyers, with his trademark dry humor, added that no matter how bizarre viewers imagined the interview to be, it was even crazier in reality.

Meyers couldn’t resist poking fun at Trump’s rambling, especially a particularly muddled story about Vladimir Putin. “Was Putin threatening to invade Ukraine, or put an ice-cream down your shirt?” Meyers asked, laughing at the incoherence. He also commented on Trump’s peculiar voice during the interview, saying it sounded like a kid on Halloween who refused to take out his plastic vampire teeth.

Trump’s admiration for Musk was another point of humor for Meyers. During the interview, Trump praised Musk for his ventures into tunnels, rockets, electric cars, and now AI, awkwardly stringing together a sentence that seemed more like a stream of consciousness than a coherent thought. Meyers quipped, “In fact, I think AI might’ve written that sentence.”

The Late-Night Takeaway

In the world of late-night TV, the Trump-Musk interview was a gift that kept on giving. From Colbert’s sardonic takes to Meyers’s deadpan humor, the event was dissected with all the wit and sarcasm that late-night hosts are known for.

For the audience, it was a reminder that when Trump takes the stage, whether for a rally or an interview, the spectacle is never far behind. And with Musk as his unlikely interviewer, the result was a blend of comedy, chaos, and just a hint of the surreal.