On Monday night, President Obama appeared on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report for a friendly interview with the liberal comedian, and Tuesday morning the “big three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) networks predictably promoted the president’s late night stop.
CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King hyped how Obama “was a guest on Comedy Central Colbert Report last night. It was his first visit to the show as Stephen Colbert gets ready to end that program. At one point it appeared the president may have been auditioning for his next job.”
King then turned to CBS News reporter Jan Crawford to further promote Obama’s Comedy Central appearance:
So the interview took place in front of about 1500 people at George Washington University. And it was Mr. Obama's first in-person appearance on The Colbert Report as president. And I've got to tell you, he showed off some skill behind the anchor desk.
Crawford beamed at how “the leader of the free world began by kicking Stephen Colbert off the set of his own show...The president settled in behind the anchor desk and performed Colbert’s monologue as Stephen Colbert...And in full pundit mode, the president attacked his own health care plan."
The CBS reporter went on to play a lengthy clip of Colbert and President Obama engaging in a friendly back-and-forth before noting that “Colbert joked that President Obama is now the new permanent guest host of the show. The Comedy Central program ends on December 18th. He's going to move over here to CBS.”
Over on NBC, Today co-host Tamron Hall further played up Obama’s Colbert Report appearance:
It was amazing last night. Stephen Colbert brought his show to Washington D.C. Monday night with a very special guest, President Obama. During a presidential version, guys, of Colbert's segment called "The Word." The President took over, having some fun at his own expense, specifically when it comes to ObamaCare.
After playing a clip from Monday night’s interview, Hall promoted the social media buzz surrounding Obama’s visit:
Alright, so Colbert was trending, of course, on Facebook. Here are some of the posts that caught out eye. Robert writes, "You have outdone yourself Mr. Colbert. The Word was ironic and a comedy gem." Up next, Joshua says, "Love him or hate him Obama was outstanding on tonight's Colbert Report." So that's just a few of the comments that came in, but you've got to go online and see the rest of it. Pretty funny television around this time of the year, guys.
ABC’s Good Morning America discussed Obama’s appearance on The Colbert Report in the context of several interviews the President gave with multiple networks in recent days. Jonathan Karl, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent, discussed how on BET Obama “soberly reflected on race relations." The ABC reporter then touted how “in the other [interview], he played Barack Obama, comedian.” Karl then highlighted how Obama “turned the tables on Stephen Colbert...Poking fun at HealtCare.gov's rocky launch.”
In total, CBS gave the most promotional coverage to Obama’s appearance with Colbert, devoting 2 minutes and 51 seconds to the interview. NBC gave the late night show 1 minute and 10 seconds and ABC gave Obama 1 minute and 57 seconds of coverage.
See relevant transcripts below.
CBS This Morning
December 9, 2014
GAYLE KING: President Barack Obama was a guest on Comedy Central Colbert Report last night. It was his first visit to the show as Stephen Colbert gets ready to end that program. At one point it appeared the president may have been auditioning for his next job. Jan Crawford is here to show us how these two big names shared the spotlight. Jan, good morning.
JAN CRAWFORD: Well good morning. So the interview took place in front of about 1500 people at George Washington University. And it was Mr. Obama's first in-person appearance on The Colbert Report as president. And I've got to tell you, he showed off some skill behind the anchor desk.
STEPHEN COLBERT: A politician could never do my job.
CRAWFORD: The leader of the free world began by kicking Stephen Colbert off the set of his own show.
COLBERT: President Obama, I just -- I -- I’m thrilled that you’re here but I did not expect you for another three minutes.
BARACK OBAMA: Stephen, you’ve been taking a lot of shots at my job, I decided I’m going to go ahead and take a shot at yours.
CRAWFORD: The president settled in behind the anchor desk and performed Colbert’s monologue as Stephen Colbert.
OBAMA: Nation, as you know, I Stephen Colbert, have never cared for our president. The guy is so arrogant. I bet he talks about himself in the third person.
CRAWFORD: And in full pundit mode, the president attacked his own health care plan.OBAMA: Remember the original healthcare.gov website? I think that's where Disney got the idea for Frozen.
CRAWFORD: Colbert and the president traded jabs.
COLBERT: Why didn't you fix the economy before the midterm elections? You know your job and I would have done it before the elections so people were happy when they voted.
OBAMA: Actually-
COLBERT: And you win and then maybe you don’t have to come on The Colbert Report.
OBAMA: Actually, the truth is the economy had been on a pretty good run.
COLBERT: I'll give you, I’ll give it to you, you’ve employed a lot of people.
OBAMA: We have.
COLBERT: Mostly as Secretary of Defense.
OBAMA: Well, that's boosted our numbers a little bit.
CRAWFORD: The comedian probed him for state secrets.
COLBERT: You have the nuclear launch codes, right?
OBAMA: Yes, I do.
COLBERT: I’m not going to ask for them. But can you tell me if there’s a 5 in there?
OBAMA: No.
CRAWFORD: And about family inside the White House.
OBAMA: When I go home, Michelle, Malia and Sasha give me a hard time and there are no trumpets.
COLBERT: Do you do normal things like leave your socks on the floor and stuff like that?
OBAMA: I do. I do.
COLBERT: You do? How’s that go over?
OBAMA: Not well.
CRAWFORD: Now Colbert joked that President Obama is now the new permanent guest host of the show. The Comedy Central program ends on December 18th. He's going to move over here to CBS.
KING: Yeah, pretty exciting he’s coming.
ROSE: Colbert keeps inviting people to come back in January.
KING: That was so clever, Jan. On both parts.
CRAWFORD: Wasn’t it?
KING: A clever way to do it.
CRAWFORD: Yeah, I thought so too. And he’s pretty good at the anchor desk, I thought., the president. So--
KING: His timing is good.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Nice to have you here Jan.
CRAWFORD: Thanks.
NBC's Today
December 9, 2014
TAMRON HALL: Oh, did you see The Colbert Report, guys?
MATT LAUER: Yeah.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Late Night Laughs; President Obama Takes Over "The Colbert Report"]
HALL: It was amazing last night. Stephen Colbert brought his show to Washington D.C. Monday night with a very special guest, President Obama. During a presidential version, guys, of Colbert's segment called "The Word." The President took over, having some fun at his own expense, specifically when it comes to ObamaCare. Take a look.
BARACK OBAMA: Nation, as you know, I, Stephen Colbert, [Laughter] have never cared for our President. Last year's website rollout was a little bumpy. I think that's where Disney got the idea for Frozen.
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
HALL: Alright, so Colbert was trending, of course, on Facebook. Here are some of the posts that caught out eye. Robert writes, "You have outdone yourself Mr. Colbert. The Word was ironic and a comedy gem." Up next, Joshua says, "Love him or hate him Obama was outstanding on tonight's Colbert Report." So that's just a few of the comments that came in, but you've got to go online and see the rest of it. Pretty funny television around this time of the year, guys.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Alright, Tamron, thank you.
ABC's Good Morning AmericaDecember 9, 2013
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We're going to turn now to President Obama. He's not expected to speak about the report today. But he did appear in a pair of revealing interviews last night. ABC's Jon Karl at the White House with that. Good morning, Jon.
JON KARL: Good morning, George. These were very different interviews. In one, he soberly reflected on race relations. In the other, he played Barack Obama, comedian. On BET, President Obama talked about meeting with some of the young people leading the protests in Ferguson and how he can personally relate to their frustrations.
BARACK OBAMA: My mind went back to what it was like for me when I was 17, 18, 20. Part of the reason I got into politics, how to bridge the gaps.
KARL: And for his daughters and future children, he offered a familiar hope.
OBAMA: I want my grandsons to be treated like anybody else's grandsons. But I don't want them to be subjected to the kind of constant bias that makes them feel as if this is not their home.
KARL: Changing being his tone on Comedy Central, the President turned the tables on Stephen Colbert.
STEPHEN COLBERT: I was about to do the word, sir.
KARL: Poking fun at HealtCare.gov's rocky launch.
OBAMA: Remember the original Healthcare.gov website? I think that's where Disney got the idea for Frozen.
KARL: Colbert joked about the many leadership changes at the Pentagon.
COLBERT: I'll give it to you. You've employed a lot of people. Mostly as secretary of defense.
KARL: Colbert also poked fun at the President's executive on immigration. Calling him Emperor Barackis – let me get this right, Barackus, Maximus the First, he called him. And jokingly asking him when he wants to burn the Constitution. George, the President takes a much more serious look at that issue later today. He heads to Nashville where he will talk to an immigrant community center.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter. [1]