--- title: Stephen Colbert Q&A on Trump Boy Scouts 2017 description: Stephen Colbert said that to remain hopeful we must "not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” canonical: https://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-17T16:56:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:46:34.945Z og:title: How Colbert Stays Hopeful When He's Going After Trump og:description: "[Do] not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” og:url: https://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfa354e3e9183882/6988d89997cdffa8ff6b1e57/gettyimages-824940818.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: stephen colbert donald trump news program og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Colbert Stays Hopeful When He's Going After Trump twitter:description: "[Do] not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfa354e3e9183882/6988d89997cdffa8ff6b1e57/gettyimages-824940818.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's How Stephen Colbert Stays Hopeful When He's Relentlessly Mocking Trump > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b9074ef6-7ffa-4b34-b65e-f1240345a032&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b9074ef6-7ffa-4b34-b65e-f1240345a032&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, 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-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=b9074ef6-7ffa-4b34-b65e-f1240345a032&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 17, 2017 4:56 PM UTC  NEW YORK - JULY 27: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Thursday's July 27, 2017 show. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images) NEW YORK - JULY 27: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Thursday's July 27, 2017 show. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images) Photograph by Scott Kowalchyk—Getty/CBS by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 17, 2017 4:56 PM UTC Stephen Colbert wants to keep his optimism. Stephen Colbert sat down with [the _Los Angeles Times_](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/tv/la-en-st-stephen-colbert-emmys-20170817-htmlstory.html) for a wide-ranging interview that covered everything from _Lord of the Rings_ author J.R.R. Tolkien to French philosopher Léon Bloy and, of course, President Donald Trump. Trump’s time in office has been a whirlwind, and it turns out it’s hard for late-night comedy writers to keep up with the rapid-fire news cycle. “We add new material between 4:45 and 5:15 almost every night,” said Colbert about the show, which tapes around 5:30 p.m. ET. “We don’t want to wait until tomorrow.” The endless cycle, though, makes it hard not to get jaded, which Colbert recognized. “Cynicism is an enormous problem,” he said. “I’m actually a hopeful person. But the way to stay hopeful is to acknowledge and to not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal.” Colbert has found it difficult to avoid getting emotional about Trump’s statements and actions, for instance when the President spoke to the Boy Scout Jamboree. “To get children to boo and hoot,” said Colbert before quoting the Bible. “There’s a moral heresy involved with the President getting children to engage in his own behavior.” Colbert, though, says he is aware that as the host of _The Late Show_, he’s not supposed to lecture the audience. “The times you see me being my harshest or scolding, I promise you, that’s not what we wrote. I just get swept up in the emotion of the moment while I’m talking about it,” he said. He can’t always help it, though. For instance, when he uttered [a vulgar Putin-Trump joke](http://time.com/4764759/colbert-gay-trump/) that faced [backlash](http://time.com/4791572/fcc-stephen-colbert-late-show-donald-trump/). “That would be an example of perhaps letting my emotions get the best of me,” he [told the _Times_](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/tv/la-en-st-stephen-colbert-emmys-20170817-htmlstory.html). Trump responded to the comment by calling Colbert a [“no-talent guy,”](http://time.com/4775633/donald-trump-stephen-colbert-cnn-msnbc-chris-cuomo/) which [he took in stride](http://time.com/4777029/colbert-on-trump-no-talent/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/"},"headline":"Here's How Stephen Colbert Stays Hopeful When He's Relentlessly Mocking Trump","datePublished":"2017-08-17T16:56:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:46:34.945Z","description":"\"[Do] not accept what is absolutely amoral, mentally ill behavior as normal,” said Colbert in a new interview","url":"https://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television","stephen colbert","Donald Trump","the late show","Late Night Comedy"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfa354e3e9183882/6988d89997cdffa8ff6b1e57/gettyimages-824940818.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfa354e3e9183882/6988d89997cdffa8ff6b1e57/gettyimages-824940818.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"stephen colbert donald trump news program","caption":"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert","creditText":"Photograph by Scott Kowalchyk—Getty/CBS","representativeOfPage":true}],"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/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/","name":"Here's How Stephen Colbert Stays Hopeful When He's Relentlessly Mocking Trump"}}]}] ```