Yesterday, President Trump addressed Congress. Last night, Stephen Colbert addressed President Trump.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was live, from New York, last night in response to Trump’s “technically not a State of the Union” address to Congress. The energy was high in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and Stephen’s chipper sarcasm has never been more appropriately applied.

Colbert has gotten snarkier and more cutting over the past few months, bringing in a second era of late night political action. Usually his monologues are Trumped up, but an entire live show dedicated to a Trump speech speaks volumes – this didn’t happen during Obama’s administration, and it’s not happening on anyone else’s show. Stephen Colbert is playing hardball, where his contemporaries like Jimmy Fallon are keeping it light and fluffy – literally fluffing Trump’s hair – and Stephen is reaping the rewards for it.

 

Trump’s speech was as expected: a lot of avoidance of legitimate criticisms, while boasting about decisions he’s made. While Trump talked terrorism, the Trans Pacific Partnership, draining the swamp, health care, the economy, Stephen had a rebuttal for each one. It was scathing enough to be unabashedly personal, and unabashed hilarious.

 

But beneath all the (well deserved) mud flinging, there’s a pundit somewhere in Stephen Colbert. Former press secretary Josh Earnest was Stephen’s first guest, and they actually got into the analytical side of the speech, sizing it up, politics-wise. Both managed to bring an objective opinion to the table, which was unexpected – but good – considering Colbert’s opening monologue.

 

Stephen Colbert is a much needed late night host, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been more politically charged in the last few months than many expected it would ever be. That might be because when it premiered, no one thought it would need to get this serious.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 et/pt on Global, and catch the latest episodes, here on GlobalTV.com!