--- title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados description: The trailer for "Mad Guac: The Avocado Warrior" is as bleak as the avocado-less future canonical: https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-04-03T15:02:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:02:48.169Z og:title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados og:description: It's a bleak, dark place. og:url: https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc54f9155126379b6/6988d1cdfb4eac956b89277b/avocado-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5568 og:image:height: 3132 og:image:alt: GERMANY-FOOD-FAIR-FRUIT-LOGISTICA og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Colbert Gives Us A Glimpse of an America Without Avocados twitter:description: It's a bleak, dark place. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc54f9155126379b6/6988d1cdfb4eac956b89277b/avocado-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Holy Lack of Guacamole.' Stephen Colbert Gives Us a Chilling Glimpse of an America Without Avocados > 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. 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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=7e5a0d6c-8467-416d-a509-e9478b5b9184&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Why You Should Eat More Avocado [Watch (HLS stream): Why You Should Eat More Avocado](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dWdExSxc.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2017-04-13. Here is some very good news for guacamole lovers everywhere: A new review of scientific literature suggests that eating avocado may help prevent metabolic syndrome_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2019 3:02 PM UTC  Avocados are on display during the opening day of the "Fruit Logistica" trade fair in Berlin on February 8, 2017\. The fair on the fresh food produce business and the latest innovations, products and services in the international supply chain is running until February 10, 2017\. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) Avocados are on display during the opening day of the "Fruit Logistica" trade fair in Berlin on February 8, 2017\. The fair on the fresh food produce business and the latest innovations, products and services in the international supply chain is running until February 10, 2017\. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images) TOBIAS SCHWARZ—AFP/Getty Images by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2019 3:02 PM UTC President Donald Trump [has been threatening](http://time.com/5563366/trump-health-care-border-pivot/) to close off the border between Mexico and the United States in response to migrants and asylum seekers. While the implications for the nation’s immigration policy would be dramatic as well as the impact on five million American manufacturing jobs, one “issue” has really captured national attention: America’s steady supply of [avocados](http://time.com/4832655/avocado-american-history/) could be at risk. “Holy lack-of-[guacamole](http://time.com/5373190/is-guacamole-healthy-experts/),” Stephen Colbert said on Monday night’s [episode of _The Late Show_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZNl0xhFAg&feature=youtu.be). “What are we supposed to put on our toast now? Jelly? You go to Concord Grape hell, old man.” Colbert wasn’t done with the subject, though. On Tuesday night’s episode, _The Late Show_ unveiled a trailer for a new movie that paints a bleak picture of an avocado-less America. In _Mad Guac: The Avocado Warrior_, “renegade gangs of health conscious millennials roam the landscape looking for green gold”. It’s a dismal glimpse of the all too possible, very near future. While late night jokes about an avocado shortage, Americans eat more fresh avocados (7.5 pounds) per capita each year than they do peaches, pears, plums, prunes and nectarines combined, [_The Washington Post_ reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/business/2019/04/02/how-us-mexico-border-dispute-could-make-avocadostoast/?nid=menu%5Fnav%5Faccessibilityforscreenreader&outputType=accessibility&utm%5Fterm=.894a5851cda2), adding that avocados make up 6 percent of the amount of fresh fruit the average American eats in a given year. When word of Trump’s threat spread, the price of Mexican Hass avocados [jumped 34 percent](http://time.com/5563175/mexico-avocado-price-trump-border-threat/) on Tuesday. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5563401/colbert-avocado-trump/"},"headline":"'Holy Lack of Guacamole.' 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