Stephen Colbert gives a monologue during a March 4 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Supplied
It’s a known paradox: The worse the politics, the better the television. When Donald Trump ran for U.S. president in 2016, Saturday Night Live reached new heights of popularity, fronted by Alec Baldwin’s smarmy impression of Trump.
That was a great year for the late-night hosts, too; Stephen Colbert, who started hosting The Late Show in 2015, tapped into the chaos of the overcrowded primary elections, as did fellow stars Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. For months, there was a veritable deluge of political banter – antics that, in retrospect, might have distracted from the realities of Trump being elected to America’s highest office.
The last month has had a familiar feeling of mayhem: Sure, the daily news cycle has been exhausting, but the potential for humour from some of Trump’s more audacious moments has been tremendous. This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau summed it up best. When asked how he’d characterize the tariff events after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly called them a “psychodrama,” he simply said, after a brief, tense pause and with a withered smile, “Thursday.”
The late-night hosts, unsurprisingly, have had a field day with the havoc of on-again, off-again tariffs, the potential for comedy embedded into the idiocy of a trade war. The airwaves have been filled with jokes about Canadian politeness (and, predictably, maple syrup).
Here are some of the best quips, direct from late-night TV.
“We share joint custody of Ryan Gosling!"
Pop culture’s favourite Ryan (sorry, Reynolds) came up on The Daily Show‘s March 4 broadcast when host Michael Kosta brought his viewers up to speed on the trade war. “We’ve always been tight with Canada,“ he joked. ”We were both British colonies. We play in the same sports leagues together. We share joint custody of Ryan Gosling.
“If Trump is going to launch a trade war with them, I hope he has a good reason. And I’m sure he does, right? Right? Right?”
Jon Stewart calls Canada “the labradoodle of allies”
When Trump’s tariffs were first supposed to take effect last month (a lifetime ago, I know), Daily Show legend Stewart was quick to react.
“Trump says tariffs are coming on Canada and Mexico and even the European Union,” he said on Feb. 3. “What is happening? The EU? Canada? Do we have any friends?
“I mean, Mexico I get,” he continued. “But Canada? We’re picking a fight with our most reliable and pleasant friend, the labradoodle of allies!”
Jimmy Fallon highlights liquor store changes, echoes Trudeau’s “very dumb” tariff comment
Hours after the 25-per-cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico took effect, Tonight Show host Fallon sided with Trudeau, amplifying the PM’s assertion that the action from the President was “very dumb.”
“Do you know how bad things have to be for Canadians to do something mean? We’re in a big fight with our neighbour,” he said on March 4. “Next, Trump’s going to go to the border and cut every tree branch just a tiny bit over the fence.”
Just three days later, Fallon shared images of bare shelves at liquor stores across Canada, where American alcohol has been removed in response to Trump’s tariffs. “It’s tough news for all the spring-breakers who booked a trip to Nova Scotia,” said Fallon.
“Say what you want about the tariffs, but no one has suffered more than the guy who owns a combination Taco Bell/Tim Hortons/Panda Express,” he continued.
Boo who?
Since last month, most of the late-night hosts have riffed on the boos at Canada-U.S. sporting events, from the 4 Nations matchup in Montreal to the Raptors-Clippers game in Toronto.
“The Canadians are booing us,” said Colbert when tariffs first were announced in early February. “Even worse, then they have to boo us again in French.”
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host shared a similar sentiment, exclaiming on Feb. 3, “I didn’t even know Canadians knew how to boo!”