Stephen Colbert thinks there’s something familiar about Donald Trump — the GOP presidential frontrunner is a lot like the conservative character Colbert made popular on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report.”
“He’s my old character with $10 billion,” Colbert said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “He’s completely playing on an emotional level, and so beautifully. I mean, that’s one of the reasons why I just can’t do that old character anymore, because he’s doing it better than I ever could because he’s willing to drink his own Kool-Aid. And manufacture and distribute it because he’s got all the cash.”
The “Late Show” host made his comments during a sit-down with fellow CBS host John Dickerson. Colbert also pointed out that Trump doesn’t let facts get in the way of his message.
“He’s this very interesting, like Frankenstein of the idea that, um, facts don’t matter and only money does.”
Despite the criticism, Colbert went on to say he does respect Trump’s ability to connect with his audience.
“I have a respect for Trump for knowing who the real audience is. That if you really wanna win you gotta get the people,” he said. “The people get to make the call. Especially now because the parties are so beholden to big money. That the party apparatus itself has been dismantled in favor of just cash. And so there aren’t, you know, wise old people who get to make the call because that’s been farmed out to super PACS who don’t seem to be that powerful themselves really, but in giving the power over to the super PACS they’ve actually completely defanged the party themselves.”
Watch the “Face the Nation” interview below.