Stephen Colbert swung by ABC and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday to celebrate his Emmy win and to reflect back on his days as host of The Late Show. Colbert claimed to be much happier now that he is no longer hosting the show because he doesn’t have to “drink a cup of poison” every day by immersing himself in the news, but neither he nor Kimmel appeared to realize that nobody was forcing them to do that in the first place.
Kimmel began by simply wondering, “Do you think about it ever?” and Colbert answered by quipping, “Nope. I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day? And I took it.”
Stephen Colbert says that he's feeling better not hosting a late night show because "the old gig as I remember it was that to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day. And then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera and to eradiate it back at the… pic.twitter.com/IhzvSmdgN1
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2026
Rewinding to Monday’s Emmy Awards, Kimmel observed, “Yeah, you know what, when I saw you last night, or what was—yeah, last night, I felt like you—I don't know, you seemed like a different person. You seemed happier. You seemed healthier.”
Colbert retorted, “Like I don't drink a cup of poison every day?”
After Kimmel affirmed, “Yeah. Like that,” Colbert recalled, “Because part of the job is—the old gig as I remember it, was that to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day and then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera. And to eradiate it back at the audience at a nonlethal rad level.”
Kimmel agreed, “That's right. That's exactly the job description.”
Nevertheless, Colbert does seem to revel in his status as a political mover and shaker. Later in their interview, Kimmel recalled spilling wine on Colbert’s tan suit at a wedding, “I was especially worried because you told me you were going to wear that where?”
Later, Colbert hyped himself wearing a tan suit at the opening up of the Obama Library, which Kimmel had previously spilled wine on, "I thought it would be a nice joke, just for the president, to wear a tan suit. And I thought, oh, Jimmy Kimmel's so jealous how good a joke that… pic.twitter.com/PNuWB1SOhs
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2026
Colbert answered, “To the opening of the Obama Library in Chicago. I thought it would be a nice joke, just for the president, to wear a tan suit. And I thought, 'Oh, Jimmy Kimmel's so jealous of how good a joke that was, he had to ruin it with a glass of wine.' I didn't realize how petty you were, but it came out, and I ended up wearing it… which was fine. The suit was fine, and it got a laugh, which was nice. That's all I wanted was for the president to see it.”
At no point did it become necessary for comedians to become indistinguishable from MS NOW hosts. Colbert could have spent his time joking about non-political matters, interviewing actors about their latest movie, or nerding out over his current The Lord of the Rings project. Talking excessively about Donald Trump and being late night’s go-to destination for Democratic politicians was a choice he made. The same logic currently applies to Kimmel.
Here is a transcript for the September 15 show:
ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!
9/15/2026
11:58 PM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: Do you think about it ever?
STEPHEN COLBERT: Nope.
KIMMEL: I will say—
COLBERT: I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day? And I took it.
JIMMY KIMMEL: You took it. Yeah, you know what, when I saw you last night, or what was—yeah, last night, I felt like you—I don't know, you seemed like a different person. You seemed happier. You seemed healthier.
COLBERT: Like I don't drink a cup of poison every day?
KIMMEL: Yeah. Like that.
COLBERT: Exactly. Because part of the job is—the old gig as I remember it, was that to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day and then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera. And to eradiate it back at the audience at a nonlethal rad level.
KIMMEL: That's right. That's exactly the job description.
…
KIMMEL: And we did eventually—and I was especially worried because you told me you were going to wear that where?
COLBERT: To the opening of the Obama Library in Chicago. I thought it would be a nice joke, just for the president, to wear a tan suit. And I thought, “Oh, Jimmy Kimmel's so jealous of how good a joke that was, he had to ruin it with a glass of wine.” I didn't realize how petty you were, but it came out, and I ended up wearing it—
KIMMEL: You did wear it.
COLBERT: I ended up wearing it, which was fine. The suit was fine, and it got a laugh, which was nice. That's all I wanted was for the president to see it.
