Late-Night Hosts Stephen Colbert and John Oliver Discuss Living in a Trump World on 'Wow! That Was Weird'

Stephen Colbert and John Oliver talk about what they fear most about a Trump presidency.

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Complex Original

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Late-night show hosts Stephen Colbert and John Oliver joined forced for a post-election panel discussion Saturday night on Wow! That Was Weird to talk about the aftermath of Donald Trump's presidential victory. 

The event, which was held as a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival, focused on key moments of Trump's campaign, leading all the way up to Election Night. Colbert began the light-hearted conversation, telling the audience that he had a number of pre-recorded pieces based on Hillary Clinton winning the election, but had to ditch all of them when it was clear Trump would win the electoral vote. "We had guests and pre-taped pieces for one of three eventualities: Hillary Clinton wins and we know; Hillary Clinton wins and we don’t know, because it’s not called until the show’s over; or Donald Trump wins and we don’t know, because he has such a narrow path to victory," Colbert said. "We have two-and-a-half shows worth of material that you’ll probably never see. We had all these made-up commercials, but none of them were appropriate once we went on the air." 

While the conversation started off on a funny note, also joking about the amount of "fake news" that was reported during the campaign, it quickly turned more serious as Colbert and Oliver looked to the future. Both hosts will likely report on the Trump administration over the next four years, and with that responsibility, understand the dangers of being dismissive to those who are worried or fear Trump's presidency. "I think the danger of ‘live your lives, the sun comes out tomorrow’ is that that’s true for some people, and so it’s very easy to forget that it’s very much not for others," Oliver said. "That’s the danger. If you are lucky enough for your life to become routine, it’s easy not to feel the pain of others whose routines are going to be shattered. Not everyone is going to be okay, so it’s incumbent on everyone to remember that."

As for what to expect after Trump is sworn into office, Colbert admitted that he is a bit scared. He worries most that the standard checks and balances of government won't apply to Trump. "Everybody tried to stop Trump. And they didn't. That's what scares me," he added.

But with that being said, Colbert and Oliver said they were willing to give the President-elect a chance. “I’m all for 'Give him a chance,' but don’t give him an inch because I remember everything he said [during the campaign], and it’s horrifying," Colbert said. The Late Show host also mentioned what disappointed voters could do to rectify the situation if only a little bit. "Vote on the local level, get involved in local organization and get to know your neighbors," he said. 

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