<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/" -->

---
title: Stephen Colbert Imagines if Obama Tweeted Like Trump Video
description: Colbert mocked POTUS on Wednesday night by creating a fake tweet from President Obama written in the style of President Trump.
canonical: https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/
author: Entertainment Weekly
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2017-06-29T15:16:47.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:45:00.089Z
og:title: Stephen Colbert Imagines if Obama Tweeted Like Trump
og:description: What if President Obama was Tweetster-in-Chief?
og:url: https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: TIME
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Stephen Colbert Imagines if Obama Tweeted Like Trump
twitter:description: What if President Obama was Tweetster-in-Chief?
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
---

# Stephen Colbert Welcomes You to an Imaginary World Where Obama Tweets Like Trump

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="1a6b775c-2511-4867-a6cd-ccd2f9434fec" campaign="time-nl-brief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1a6b775c-2511-4867-a6cd-ccd2f9434fec&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 |
| Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services.

### TIME The Brief: key statements

*   The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1a6b775c-2511-4867-a6cd-ccd2f9434fec&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=1a6b775c-2511-4867-a6cd-ccd2f9434fec&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's daily news newsletter?

The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.

#### How do I sign up for The Brief?

The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.

#### Is The Brief free?

Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes The Brief?

The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.

### Sources

*   TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1a6b775c-2511-4867-a6cd-ccd2f9434fec&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's daily news newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "How do I sign up for The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is The Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->



by 

[Nick Romano / Entertainment Weekly](https://time.com/author/entertainment-weekly/)


## Nick Romano / Entertainment Weekly


Jun 29, 2017 3:16 PM UTC

by 

[Nick Romano / Entertainment Weekly](https://time.com/author/entertainment-weekly/)


## Nick Romano / Entertainment Weekly


Jun 29, 2017 3:16 PM UTC

President Trump earned the nickname “[Tweetster in Chief](http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/28/stephen-colbert-cnn-retraction-trump-fake-news/)” for [his constant barrage of tweets](http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/27/donald-trump-fake-news-twitter/), but Stephen Colbert imagined if that trait belonged instead to former President Obama. The host of _The Late Show_ mocked POTUS on Wednesday night in creating a fake tweet from Obama written in the style of Trump.

Serving as inspiration, Trump attacked _The Washington Post_ over Twitter after the paper released a report about a fake _Time_ magazine cover hanging in his golf clubs. “We know you think _The Washington Post_ is fake news, you don’t have to keep telling us,” Colbert said. “I mean, Obama didn’t wake up every morning and tweet, ‘Still first black president. #iamthedream.’ He didn’t do it. He didn’t have to.”

“The #AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet taxes (which they should) is FAKE NEWS,” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. Both Colbert and _Late Night_ host [Seth Meyers](http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/29/seth-meyers-trump-fake-time-magazine-cover/) laughed in their respective segments as they pointed out there is no such thing as an internet tax.

“That’s a fake tweet,” Colbert said.

Watch his monologue in the clip above.

_This_ [_article_](http://ew.com/tv/2017/06/29/stephen-colbert-imagines-if-obama-tweeted-like-trump/) _originally appeared on_ [_EW.com_](http://ew.com)

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/"},"headline":"Stephen Colbert Welcomes You to an Imaginary World Where Obama Tweets Like Trump","datePublished":"2017-06-29T15:16:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:45:00.089Z","description":"What if President Obama was Tweetster-in-Chief?","url":"https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Late Night","Late Night Television","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nick Romano / Entertainment Weekly"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4838917/president-barack-obama-donald-trump-stephen-colbert-twitter/","name":"Stephen Colbert Welcomes You to an Imaginary World Where Obama Tweets Like Trump"}}]}]
```

