The Washington Examiner notes that Stephen Colbert took up the challenge by President Donald Trump to give him equal time on “The Late Show.” He trotted out Jon Stewart, looking and sometimes acting pretty much like a homeless person. Colbert would provide some rant about Trump, and then Stewart would say something “positive” about the president, which consisted of backhanded rants about the president. One good thing was that Stewart actually mentioned Harvey Weinstein. The routine is posted below. The gentle reader is invited to determine whether Colbert and Stewart made the president’s point that they are “unfunny.”

What would equal time on late night look like?

We’ve already covered how President Trump can provide his own equal time through his mastery of the media and possession of the bully pulpit.

We’ve also noted that the hyper-partisanship of late-night comedians such as Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel is causing the ratings of their shows to decline. Now we shall instruct the people who are being paid millions of dollars to make us laugh after the evening news what equal time would be like if they cared to employ it.

Equal time does not consist of saying positive things about Trump. He is the president and is therefore there to be mocked by comedians. And, let’s face it, Trump is a target rich environment where it comes to mockery.

Equal time consists of poking fun at some of Trump’s enemies. Stephen, Jimmy, you have been given a gift in that regard on a silver platter, tied up in a bow tie, in the person of Harvey Weinstein and the entire entertainment industry that enabled his sexual abuse of women.

If there is anyone who needs deflating its Hollywood A-listers expressing how they are shocked, shocked that a sexual predator was the king of Hollywood. Guys, you can add Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to your list as they have maintained a decorous silence on the scandal, even though Weinstein was their best friend on Tinseltown.

Time to bring back Craig Ferguson

We’ll close by bringing up my favorite complaint about late night, that being that Craig Ferguson doesn’t have a show. He was one of the funniest hosts after hours for his career before Colbert beat him out for the host of “The Late Show” and he decided to retire. Ferguson could be an equal opportunity mocker, as anyone who noted his impressions of former President Bill Clinton can attest.

So, it is time to CBS to recognize its mistake, give Colbert his walking papers, and go on bended knee to Ferguson and spend what it takes to get him back on the air. Believe me, he’ll go after Trump and, unlike Colbert and Kimmel, he’ll be funny in doing so.
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