Stephen Colbert used Tuesday’s monologue on CBS’ “The Late Show” to question the roughly 1 in 5 Americans who say they strongly support President Trump, riffing on new poll data showing the president’s approval rating at a second-term low.
Citing a UMass Amherst/YouGov survey released Monday, Mr. Colbert noted that while Trump’s overall approval had sunk to 33% — the lowest of his second term — 22.4% of Americans still said they “strongly approve” of the president. The remark drew boos from the studio audience.
Mr. Colbert then stepped toward the camera and addressed that slice of the public directly.
“Who are you?!” he asked.
He went on to lampoon the hypothetical Trump backer. “I want gas to be expensive. I want the Kennedy Center blowed up,” Mr. Colbert said, before adding: “And I know this is a pipe dream, but is there any way that maybe, maybe, we could get Denmark to hate us? Because I would just love it if the price of licorice went up, too.”
The UMass poll, conducted March 20–25 among 1,000 respondents, found that 62% of Americans somewhat or strongly disapprove of Mr. Trump’s job performance, with 47.2% registering strong disapproval. The survey found Mr. Trump’s approval down 5 points since July 2025 and 11 points from a year ago.
Mr. Colbert also suggested that the numbers may be rattling the White House, pointing to a Wall Street Journal report that Mr. Trump is reportedly willing to end the U.S. military campaign in Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
The monologue came with the show’s end date drawing closer. CBS announced in July 2025 that “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” would not be renewed, calling the decision “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” The series finale is scheduled for May 21.
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