Stephen Colbert Uses Emmy Win to Troll Trump’s Bitter Apprentice Grudge

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert used his new Emmy trophy as both a thank-you note to viewers and a prop to troll President Donald Trump’s bitter grievance for having never won one.

Beginning his opening monologue on Tuesday night, Colbert didn’t waste any time celebrating his win.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome one and all. Welcome to The Late Show. I’m your host, Steven Colbert,” he began, as the crowd roared in applause, before pausing to lift his Emmy. “I’m sorry. I meant to say welcome to the Emmy Award-winning Late Show.”

The crowd cheered in standing applause, chanting his name.

As the audience settled, the host continued into a lengthy thank you speech, sharing his appreciation for his “incredible” and “hard-working” 200-person production team, who keep the nightly broadcast rolling.

“The stage crew, production staff, talent, segment, editors, the band, whole, field, control room, props, graphics, research, footage, digital, accounting, legal, wardrobe, makeup, security, maintenance, assistance, and interns,” he listed on, before also thanking viewers.

Then came the punchline: “Speaking of Emmys, uh, Donald Trump doesn’t have one.”

Indeed, Trump’s history with the Emmys is long, bitter, and loudly aired.

NBC ran The Apprentice for seven seasons from 2004 to 2010 before spinning it off into Celebrity Apprentice. The series received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 2004 and 2005, but lost out both years to The Amazing Race.

For years, Trump lamented that The Apprentice was snubbed, complaining he was cheated out of the award and insisting he deserved it “many times over.”

Taking to social media at the time, he resentfully blasted the awards as “a con game” and has lambasted the show as “all politics” with “no credibility” for years.

Colbert’s jab lands after Trump celebrated The Late Show’s cancellation, announced in July. The show is set to conclude its run in May 2026.

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