Stephen Colbert Hilariously Destroys Trump’s Latest Obsession with the Perfect Makeover
Late night comedy has long thrived on the quirks and controversies of American presidents, but few have provided as much material as Donald Trump. On a recent episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert took aim at Trump’s newest fixation: the cover of Time magazine. In classic Colbert fashion, he gave the former president’s obsession a makeover as absurd as the obsession itself.
Trump’s Time Cover Tantrum
The segment opened with Colbert setting the stage:
“Folks, the former president has a new obsession.”
That obsession? A particular Time magazine cover featuring Trump—a photo he deemed “the worst of all time.” Trump’s complaints were both specific and comically vain. He claimed the photo made his hair disappear and that an “invisible crown” hovered above his head. As Colbert quipped, Trump wasn’t just irked—he was obsessed.
Colbert reminded viewers of Trump’s long-standing hunger for flattering imagery: magazine covers, golden mirrors, and endless approval. He referenced polling metrics—Trump’s strong negative appeal at 39% and weak positive appeal at 14%—to highlight the irony: a man obsessed with image but suffering from poor likability scores.
Project Makeover: Presidential Edition
With the audience primed, Colbert launched his satirical solution:
“Let’s give him a makeover. Because when one is obsessed with image, what one needs is reinvention, preferably of the kind only I can orchestrate.”
Thus began “Project Makeover: Presidential Edition,” a tongue-in-cheek plan to reinvent Trump’s obsession with his public image.
Step 1: The Cover Reinvisioned
Colbert’s first move was to reimagine the Time cover itself. Instead of complaining, Trump could commission his own definitive version:
– Photo: Flattering angle, camera slightly above, warm lighting, minimal shadows.
– Setting: Trump seated in a throne-like chair, tastefully adorned with subtle gold trim—because nothing says “look at me” like gold.
– Title: “Trump: The Triumphant Return”
– Subtitle: “And This Time I’m the Cover Story”
– Banner: “Exclusive: My Hair, My Crown, My Truth”
Colbert joked that Trump would demand the cover headline: “Worst of All Time, Revisited.” The show, of course, would “politely decline the spin room.”
Step 2: Spin Room 2.0
Trump’s obsession isn’t limited to the picture itself; he wants the image to echo worldwide. Colbert envisioned a social media blitz, with Trump posting side-by-side comparisons of the old and new covers, captioned:
“They got it wrong. I got it right.”
A press release would follow, fact-checking the new cover: “No hair lost in the making of this magazine cover.”
Colbert’s segment was more than just mockery—it was a clever commentary on Trump’s relentless pursuit of approval and control over his image. By giving Trump’s obsession a “makeover,” Colbert exposed the absurdity of trying to control every aspect of public perception, especially when the underlying numbers tell a different story.
The audience laughed, but the message was clear:
No matter how many covers Trump remakes, the obsession with image can’t mask reality.
In the end, Colbert’s “makeover” was a fitting response to an obsession that is both uniquely Trumpian and universally relatable. It’s a reminder that in politics—and in life—the chase for approval can sometimes lead to the most absurd of places. And when it does, there’s always a late night host ready to give it the perfect comedic twist.
