Notoriously leftist late night host Stephen Colbert could be one of the many big names ready to throw his hat into the presidential ring in a post-President Donald Trump world.
And, to put it lightly, it would be an utter disaster for Americans if “The Late Show” host leaves his studio on 1697 Broadway in New York for that one house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Appearing on the Jan. 27 episode of NBC’s “Late Night” (hosted by Seth Meyers), Colbert broached two eyebrow-raising topics.
First? Colbert confirmed that his hideous and ideologically slanted talk show would be coming to an end this summer, per The Hill.
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Specifically, the final air date for “The Late Show” is slated for May 21.
But while many had already known of this (CBS announced it was pulling the plug on the talk show for financial reasons last year), what some may not have been as familiar with Colbert’s plans post-late night.
“There’s been a whole host of things that people have speculated that I will do next,” Colbert said after Meyers asked about his plans. “I’m neither going to confirm nor deny any of these, or many of these, because I’ve got to keep my options open.”
Meyers then asked if there was any potential for seeing Colbert on a presidential ticket anytime soon.
“I’ve heard that one,” Colbert hinted.
In a more joking manner, he added, “Obviously, I mean, that’s something I have to discuss with my faith leader and my family.”
“And if there is some way for me to serve the American people in some way greater than a late-night television show… I would consider that,” he continued, with a grin.
“If there is some way for me to serve the American people…” Colbert says — yet the past decade of his public life has been a masterclass in doing the opposite.
His brand isn’t persuasion or coalition-building. It’s applause-line politics, a nightly ritual of sorting Americans into heroes and villains and calling it comedy.
In fact, it’s hard to imagine what a Colbert campaign would even look like, because it would be indistinguishable from one of his shockingly partisan episodes — same tone, same targets, same smug certitude.
A country that’s already cracked along tribal lines doesn’t need a president who’s made a career out of turning half the audience into a punchline. Leadership is about lowering the temperature when the room is on fire, not tossing gasoline for canned applause.
And then there’s the small matter of governing. The presidency is not a writer’s room, and America is not a studio audience primed to clap on cue.
We’ve already learned — painfully — that celebrity isn’t a substitute for judgment, and that viral moments don’t equal political chops. Colbert’s instincts are to grandstand, to sermonize, to perform for his tribe. The job of president requires negotiating with people you don’t like, owning tradeoffs, and living with unfunny consequences.
Worst of all, a Colbert run would be pure accelerant in a moment that begs for brakes. Colbert’s COVID-era scolding, gleeful partisanship, moralizing without humility — none of that suggests a unifier in waiting.
Even as a joke, it normalizes the idea that our politics should be run like a late-night segment: sharp, smug, and disposable by tomorrow. America doesn’t need a host at the desk, but an adult behind the Resolute Desk.
And whatever you think of his punchlines, Stephen Colbert has shown far more interest in picking sides than in picking up the pieces.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal and is reposted with permission.
