--- title: Colbert Struggles to Accept Trump Is Coming for Your Guns description: “He’s being… reasonable?” Stephen Colbert asked in disbelief over Donald Trump’s gun control comments canonical: https://time.com/5180905/colbert-on-trump-gun-comments/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-03-01T15:43:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:19.418Z og:title: Stephen Colbert Struggles to Accept Trump's Stance on Guns og:description: “He’s being… reasonable?” Colbert asked about Trump’s gun control comments og:url: https://time.com/5180905/colbert-on-trump-gun-comments/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt807ec6d51ece03ef/6989294786f68e2b816e874f/colbertontrumpgunstance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1548 og:image:height: 871 og:image:alt: ColbertonTrumpGunStance og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Stephen Colbert Struggles to Accept Trump's Stance on Guns twitter:description: “He’s being… reasonable?” Colbert asked about Trump’s gun control comments twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt807ec6d51ece03ef/6989294786f68e2b816e874f/colbertontrumpgunstance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'He's Being Reasonable?' Stephen Colbert Struggles to Accept Trump's Latest Stance on Guns > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 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. 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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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=6b0e717d-7b82-468c-a97b-be5e375a411a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Discusses Gun Control Reforms With Congress Members [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Discusses Gun Control Reforms With Congress Members](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zO5Fa8SC.m3u8) (1:52)  _Published 2018-02-28. President Trump met with a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives to discuss various ideas to curb gun violence._ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Mar 1, 2018 3:43 PM UTC  by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Mar 1, 2018 3:43 PM UTC President Donald Trump’s comments that [he is considering](http://time.com/5179995/donald-trump-nra-gun-control-comments/?xid=homepage) raising the minimum age to purchase guns, banning so-called [bump stocks](http://time.com/4970720/trump-bump-stocks-ban/), and encouraging a bill that would expand background checks shocked the NRA, conservative groups, and Stephen Colbert. On Wednesday night’s episode of _The Late Show_, Colbert struggled with Trump’s change of heart. “I have no explanation for what happened this afternoon,” Stephen Colbert said of Trump’s meeting with lawmakers about [potential gun legislation](http://time.com/5180537/gun-control-donald-trump-meeting/?xid=homepage). Colbert was particularly taken aback by Trump’s comments about the NRA, though. “They have great power over you people,” the president told Republicans at a press conference. “They have less power over me. What do I need?” Colbert had an answer for that one, at least: “Uh, a conscience, a shred of dignity and I’m gonna say like a salad once in a while.” Colbert was stunned by Trump’s comments to Republicans that they will “never” get a comprehensive gun bill passed, if they try to add concealed carry reciprocity to it. “He’s being… reasonable?” Colbert asked in disbelief. While Colbert was flummoxed by Trump’s statements, he was happy to hear that Trump was thinking about some way to resolve the nation’s gun epidemic. “We need to find any solution that does not involve an imaginary Donald Trump stopping an attack with karate,” he joked, referring to [Trump’s statement that he would have run into the high school in Parkland, Florida](http://time.com/5177243/stephen-colbert-trump-schools/) during the recent shooting. ## Transcript [00:00] We continue to mourn the lose of so many precious [00:03] young lives in [ UNKNOWN ] We are determined to turn [00:07] our grieve into action, I really believe that, I think that [00:11] the people of the state have wanted and I see some [00:14] folks don't nice things about me and that's okay [00:18] because is you turn that into this energy. I love you. [00:23] I don't care. Mr. President it's gonna have to be you [00:26] that brings the Republicans to the table on this, [00:28] because right now, the gun lobby would stop it in it's [00:31] tracks. I like that responsbility, Chris, I really do. I think [00:34] it's time that a President stepped up. And we haven't [00:36] had them and I'm talking Democrat and Republican [00:39] presidents. They have not stepped up. We can do that [00:42] with an executive order. I'm gonna write the bump [00:44] stock, essentially write it out. So you won't have to [00:47] worry about bump stock. Shortly that'll be gone. It [00:50] doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to a [00:52] handgun but I can get this weapon at 18. I don't know. [00:54] So I was just curious as to what you did in your bill. You [00:58] don't address it. We didn't address it, Mr. President. [01:01] You know why, because you're afraid of the NRA, right? [01:02] [ LAUGH ] If you look at the concealed carry [01:05] population, these are people by and large who are [01:08] helping us stop crimes, these are people who are well [01:10] trained, who actually go out there and help prevent [01:13] crimes. So, hope that that's not immediately dismissed [01:16] because there is a lot of talk of Just putting that on the [01:18] side. Just view it like this. You know I'm your biggest [01:21] fan in the whole world, right. I know. I think that maybe [01:26] that bill will someday pass, but it should pass as a [01:28] separate. If you're gonna put concealed carry between [01:31] states into this bill we're talking about a whole new ball [01:33] game. And You know, I'm with you but let it be [01:37] a separate bill. All right, I understand that. You'll never [01:39] get this passed. If you add concealed carry to this, [01:41] you'll never get it passed. One of your other ideas that [01:45] are being talked about [ UNKNOWN ] I don't think, [01:48] again, you'll never get it passed. So we want to get [01:51] something done. Right. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5180905/colbert-on-trump-gun-comments/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5180905/colbert-on-trump-gun-comments/"},"headline":"'He's Being Reasonable?' 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