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Stephen Colbert Welcomes Melania Trump 2.0 Ahead of Major Congressional Address
On Tuesday evening, Stephen Colbert is set to air live following President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress. In preparation for the event, the CBS host brought back the character of Melania Trump 2.0 during Monday’s episode of “The Late Show.” This recurring character, portrayed by Laura Benanti, has become a staple since its introduction in 2016.
“Hello, Stephen. It is a pleasure for you to see me again,” Benanti’s character began, humorously suggesting that Melania has evolved into a new version. “That’s right, Stephen. This is Melania 2.0, and it is giving background actor on ‘Suits’ or lawyer for tables.”
When Colbert inquired about her recent activity, Melania responded, “Yes, I have been splitting my time between Mar-a-Lago, The White House and Camp David. Camp David is when I imagine I am camping with David Beckham. Toast my marshmallows, David. Bend me like Beckham.”
However, her segment took a more serious turn as she remarked on her conversations with notable figures: “I had a great talk with Elon Musk about eliminating federal jobs — hopefully starting with First Lady.” This commentary sparked interest amid a changing political landscape.
Although Melania received some public sympathy during her first tenure as First Lady, sentiment seems to have shifted in 2025. Reflecting this change, she quipped, “Their money is just a gift to me. After all, you can’t spell ‘Grift’ without ‘Gift.’ And you can’t spell ‘Gift’ without ‘If.’ But ‘If’ will never become ‘I’ because I don’t give a F.”
Melania also provided a cheeky update on her relationship with her husband, stating, “The state of our union is the same. He reaches for my hand, I smack it away. He goes for the other hand, I twist it away like this. He goes for a kiss, I duck and move.” She humorously noted that while the audience will hear whatever he says, she would be distracted by music from Sabrina Carpenter playing in her earpods.
Concluding her appearance, Melania made a poignant remark about the state of the nation, saying, “Oh Stephen, I don’t like to get involved in politics — except for the money I make from it. But if I had to say my own State of Union, I would say America is a lot like Melania: trapped in a bad relationship with Donald Trump, just praying he doesn’t screw us anymore than he already has.”
“The Late Show” airs weekdays at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS before streaming on Paramount+.
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www.thewrap.com