Even though his late-night show is officially on the chopping block, Stephen Colbert isn’t backing down when it comes to taking shots at Donald Trump.
During a recent broadcast, the comedian got his audience to boo after mocking the former president over a strange White House portrait swap that replaced Joe Biden’s photo with an image of… an autopen.
A Portrait Swap Sparks Laughter and Boos
The White House recently unveiled a video showcasing presidential portraits in a walkway leading from the residence to the West Wing.
Among the images of past leaders like Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Biden was depicted not as himself but as an autopen machine signing his name.
Colbert wasted no time in poking fun at the move. “Trump always, always has an ulterior motive, and it’s always being a jerk,” he quipped, before showing the video to his audience.
Their response? A round of boos, which Colbert quickly labeled as “childish”—though he agreed the display was “pathetic.”
The Autopen Obsession
The autopen isn’t new, but Trump has made it a recurring talking point.
He has often accused Biden of relying too heavily on the device, even suggesting the president wasn’t making real decisions in office.
Ironically, Trump himself admitted to using the autopen during his presidency, though he insists it was never for signing legislation—only for personal letters to Americans.
Still, the former president continues to frame it as a symbol of Biden’s supposed incompetence.
A Tradition Older Than Trump Thinks
While Trump portrays the autopen as some kind of scandal, history tells a different story. The device has been used by presidents for decades.
In fact, Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to use a version of it back in 1804, calling it “the finest invention of the present age.”
Later, Harry Truman modernized it, and Barack Obama became the first to sign legislation with it.
So while Trump rails against Biden’s reliance on the tool, the practice is far from unusual in American political history.
Trump Keeps the Criticism Going
Back in May, Trump doubled down on his attacks during a speech at the Department of Justice.
“Crooked Joe Biden got us into a real mess with Russia and everything else he did, frankly.
But he didn’t know about it and, generally speaking, signed it with autopen.
So how would he know?” he said, painting the device as proof Biden was clueless in office.
Trump argued that using the autopen is disrespectful to the presidency and questioned whether documents signed this way should even be considered valid.
Colbert Sees It Differently
For Colbert, the whole controversy is little more than a childish distraction.
“Obviously, this is pathetic,” he told his viewers. “Joe Biden is in full retirement. He’s not out there attacking Trump.”
Instead, the comedian suggested Trump’s obsession stems from bitterness over the 2020 election loss, which he still refuses to let go of.
Trouble for Colbert’s Own Show
While Colbert continues to mock Trump, his own career has hit a major shake-up.
CBS recently announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, marking the close of a run that began in 2015.
The network described Colbert as “irreplaceable” and said the Late Show brand would be retired along with him.
The announcement came not long after Colbert criticized CBS for paying a $16 million settlement to Trump, calling it “a big fat bribe.”
Trump Denies Having a Hand in the Cancellation
Despite speculation that Trump pressured CBS, the former president rejected the idea that he was responsible for Colbert’s exit.
“Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true,” he wrote.
Instead, Trump said Colbert was axed because of “a pure lack of talent” and claimed the show was costing CBS $50 million a year in losses. According to him, things were only going to get worse.
A Long-Running Feud Continues
If anything, the back-and-forth proves that the rivalry between Trump and Colbert is far from over.
While Colbert may only have a little more than a year left on late-night TV, it looks like he plans to use that time to keep mocking the former president—autopen jokes and all.