It might have been the vodka talking, but Stephen Colbert announced he’s considering running for president in 2020.
After throwing back a few vodka shots — complete with pickle chasers — Colbert on Friday announced he was considering a presidential bid during an appearance on “Evening Urgant,” a Russian late-night talk show inspired by American late-night TV like CBS’ “The Late Show,” which Colbert hosts.
As Colbert played Russian roulette with a spinning tray of vodka shots, a game Colbert described as “suicide,” Colbert asked, “By the way, can I announce something?”
“I’m here to announce I am considering a run for president in 2020, and I thought it would be better to cut out the middleman and just tell the Russians myself. If anyone would like to work on my campaign in an unofficial capacity, just let me know,” Colbert said.
Colbert was poking fun at allegations that President Donald Trump could have colluded with the Russians in their efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election — it was a recurring theme throughout Colbert’s appearance on “Evening Urgant.”
“To the beautiful and friendly people of Russia, I don’t understand why no members of the Trump administration can remember meeting you,” Colbert said, raising his first shot in the air as a toast.
Urgant even jabbed back, raising his glass to the U.S., “which invented the internet, thanks to which we are able to influence the presidential election.” He also made a promise to Colbert that “we will do all we can to ensure that you become president.”
Colbert announced his trip to Russia on Thursday in a tweet to President Trump after he announced he had no “tapes” of conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey.
Following Trump’s firing of Comey, there was speculation he did it to derail the Department of Justice’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
This won’t be Colbert’s first run for president. The late-night comedian, under the guise of his former ultra-conservative character by the same name on Comedy Central, made an unsuccessful run for the presidency in 2007.
