I'M YOUR HOST, STEPHEN COLBERT.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU KNOW THE THING THAT

SURPRISED ME ABOUT NEW YORK THE MOST IS HOW NICE THE CROWDS ARE,

JON.

UNBELIEVABLE.

WHAT CAN ONE SAY BUT A TU DAS.

I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

WAS I CLOSE?

WAS IT CLOSE?

THE OPENING ARGUMENTS WRAPPED UP TODAY IN DONALD TRUMP'S

IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.

AND IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME.

SENATORS ARE EXHAUSTED FROM HOURS OF NOT LISTENING.

( LAUGHTER ) JOHN ROBERTS IS SO CHECKED OUT,

HE REPLACED HIM WITH A CARPOOL LANE SEX DOLL.

( LAUGHTER ) I'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE LATEST IN

TONIGHT'S "DON AND THE GIANT IMPEACH."

>> THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPEACH THE SONAVABITCH!

>> Stephen: THIS, OF COURSE, IS AN HISTORIC DAY, AND CNN WAS ON

TOP OF ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, LIKE, AS THE TRIAL BEGAN

TODAY, SENATOR MITT ROMNEY WAS SPOTTED WITH A GLASS OF

CHOCOLATE MILK ON HIS DESK.

FOLLOWING UP WITH THIS EXCLUSIVE: "ROMNEY MADE SHORT

WORK OF HIS CHOCOLATE MILK, FINISHING THE ENTIRE GLASS BY

ABOUT 1:20 P.M. EASTERN TIME, AFTER WHICH A PAGE PROMPTLY

REMOVED IT FROM HIS DESK."

THEN THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IMPEACHABLE

OFFENSES, BUT I DIDN'T CATCH MOST OF IT, BECAUSE I WAS

WORKING MY SOURCES TO FIND OUT IF ROMNEY'S MILK WAS WHOLE OR

2%."

ANYWAY, ARGUMENTS ARE DONE AS OF 3:00 TODAY.

THE DEFENSE RESTED?

OKAY.

ALL THAT'S LEFT IS ALL THE ARGUING, MOSTLY ABOUT WITNESSES.

MITCH McCONNELL DOESN'T WANT ANY, AND IT LOOKED LIKE ALL THE

REPUBLICANS WERE GOING TO FALL IN LINE.

THAT GOT COMPLICATED ON SUNDAY, THANKS TO A NEW BOOK BY FORMER

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR AND LONELY GRANDPA TOOTHBRUSH, JOHN

BOLTON.

( LAUGHTER ) BOLTON HAS OFFERED TO TESTIFY IN

THE TRIAL, BUT SO FAR, REPUBLICANS HAVE REFUSED TO.

CALL HIM.

THAT MIGHT CHANGE, THANKS TO REPORTS ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK,

"THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED."

OKAY, THAT'S A CLEAR REFERENCE TO THE HIT MUSICAL "HAMILTON,"

WHICH MEANS THE BOOK MUST BE WRITTEN IN HIP HOP.

♪ MY NAME IS JOHN BOLTON AND I'M HERE TO SAY

♪ IT'S WRONG TO BLACKMAIL UKRAINE THIS WAY! ♪

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THE MANUSCRIPT IS FULL OF SPICY REVELATIONS, BUT THE MOST

DAMNING ONE IS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD BOLTON IN AUGUST THAT

HE WANTED TO CONTINUE FREEZING ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE UNTIL

OFFICIALS HELPED WITH INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE

DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING THE BIDENS.

THERE IT IS!

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE!

QUID PRO QUO CONFIRMED BY A FIRSTHAND WITNESS.

CHECK AND MATE.

GAME, SET, MATCH!

GOAAAALL!

TOUCHDOWN!

HOMERUN!

WHATEVER-- WHATEVER-- ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

WHATEVER YOU YELL AT THE END OF A WATER POLO MATCH.

I'M SO WET!

MY SPEEDO IS THE SMALLEST!

BOLTON CLAIMS THE LEAKS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH BOOSTING

THE SALES OF HIS BOOK, BUT PEOPLE ARE SUSPICIOUS,

ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE QUOTES LEAKED THE SAME DAY THE

AMAZON PRODUCT PAGE FOR THE BOOK WENT LIVE.

HOW CASH-VENIENT.

NOW WE KNOW HOW TO GET TRUMP'S PEOPLE TO TELL THE TRUTH: GIVE

THEM A PRODUCT TO PROMOTE.

MICK MULVANEY, COME ON MY SHOW, AND I WILL PLAY A CLIP FROM YOUR

NEW DISNEY MOVIE, "FROZEN MILITARY AID."

( AS TRUMP ) ♪ QUID PRO QUO!

QUID PRO QUO ♪ ( APPLAUSE )

IT ♪ CRIME'S NEVER BOTHERED ME

ANYWAY ♪ THE BOOK WON'T BE OFFICIALLY

RELEASED UNTIL MARCH 17, WHICH OF COURSE IS ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

SO THIS YEAR, WHEN I'M DRUNK AND THROWING UP, IT WON'T BE BECAUSE

I'M IRISH.

BOLTON'S BOOK PUTS PRESSURE ON G.O.P. SENATORS TO ALLOW

WITNESSES, INCLUDING UTAH SENATOR MITT ROMNEY, SEEN HERE

LEARNING THEY MAKE FLAVORED SELTZERS?

YESTERDAY, ROMNEY SAID THIS: "IT'S INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT

THOSE OF US WHO THINK WE SHOULD HEAR FROM JOHN BOLTON.

I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE OPINED UPON THIS."

SO... IS THAT A YES?

CAN YOU IMAGINE ORDERING A PIZZA WITH MITT ROMNEY?

( AS ROMNEY ) "IT'S INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT

I'LL CONSIDER A HALF PEPPERONI, HALF MUSHROOM.

OTHERS AT THE PARTY HAVE OPINED ON THE MERITS OF SAUSAGE."

( LAUGHTER ) THESE BOLTON REVELATIONS ARE

TERRIBLE FOR THE PRESIDENT.

SO YESTERDAY, TRUMP'S LAWYERS AT FIRST SAID, "PAY NO ATTENTION TO

THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSTACHE."

BUT EVENTUALLY, THAT WHICH WAS ONCE ALAN DERSHOWITZ, TRIED THIS

BRILLIANT DEFENSE: >> NOTHING IN THE BOLTON

REVELATIONS, EVEN IF TRUE, WOULD RISE TO THE LEVEL OF AN ABUSE OF

POWER OR AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.

>> Stephen: WELL, IF IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT TRUMP DID IT, WHY

HAVE YOU WASTED SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY ARGUING THAT HE DIDN'T?

( AS HUSBAND ) "HONEY, I SWEAR TO GOD, I NEVER

SLEPT WITH JEANNINE!

ALSO, CAN WE AGREE THAT MONOGAMY IS FOR PENGUINS?"

( LAUGHTER ) BUT EYE DON'T HEAR MORGAN

FREEMAN NARRATING OUR SEX.

BUT THAT WOULD BE NICE."

BUT THE UKRAINE SCANDAL WASN'T THE ONLY BOMBSHELL IN BOLTON'S

UPCOMING BOOK.

IT TURNS OUT BOLTON WAS CONCERNED THAT TRUMP DID FAVORS

FOR AUTOCRATIC LEADERS.

JUST CONCERNED?

THAT'S IT?

IT'S LIKE YOUR DOCTOR SAYING, "ALL RIGHT, YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

IS NORMAL.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ARROW STICKING OUT OF YOUR HEART.

I WOULD TAKE IT OUT, BUT I'M GOING TO WAIT UNTIL I FINISH

WRITING MY BOOK ABOUT IT."

TRUMP ISN'T THE ONLY ONE JOHN BOLTON IMPLICATES IN HIS BOOK.

HE ALSO NAMES SECRETARY OF STATE AND ANGRY BABY BIRD, MIKE

POMPEO.

BUT POMPEO CAN MAKE HIMSELF LOOK GUILTY ALL ON HIS OWN.

LISTEN TO HOW TESTY HE GOT DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH NPR'S

MARY LOUISE KELLY FOR "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED."

>> CHANGE OF SUBJECT, UKRAINE.

DO YOU OWE AMBASSADOR MARIE YOVANOVITCH AN APOLOGY?

>> YOU KNOW, I AGREED TO COME ON YOUR SHOW TODAY TO TALK ABOUT

IRAN.

THAT'S WHAT I INTEND TO DO.

>> I CONFIRMED WITH YOUR STAFF LAST NIGHT THAT I WOULD TALK

ABOUT IRAN AND UKRAINE.

>> I JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THAT THIS

MORNING.

>> Stephen: SO POMPEO REFUSED TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING BESIDES

IRAN.

DOES HE THINK THE NAME OF THE SHOW IS "ONE THING CONSIDERED"?

( LAUGHTER ) BUT KELLY, BEING A GOOD

JOURNALIST, PRESSED ON, FOCUSING ON WHY POMPEO, AS SECRETARY OF

STATE, DIDN'T DO MORE TO PROTECT THE AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE.

>> SIR, RESPECTFULLY, WHERE HAVE YOU DEFENDED MARIE YOVANOVITCH?

>> I'VE DEFENDED EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS TEAM.

I'VE DONE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS TEAM.

>> CAN YOU POINT ME TOWARD YOUR REMARKS WHERE YOU HAVE DEFENDED

MARIE YOVANOVITCH?

>> I'VE SAID ALL I'M GOING TO SAY TODAY.

THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR THE REPEATED OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

>> Stephen: THAT'S PRETTY SARCASTIC.

( LAUGHTER ) I'D LOVE TO SEE ONE OF POMPEO'S

THANK YOU CARDS.

"DEAR NANA, THANK YOU FOR THE REPEATED OPPORTUNITY TO WEAR A

HOMEMADE SWEATER.

SO GLAD YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE.

MIKE."

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) BUT ONCE THEY WERE OFF THE AIR,

THINGS WENT FROM PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE TO REGULAR

AGGRESSIVE.

KELLY DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE INTERVIEW ENDED.

>> I WAS TAKEN TO THE SECRETARY'S PRIVATE LIVING ROOM.

HE SHOUTED AT ME FOR ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS THE

INTERVIEW ITSELF HAD LASTED.

HE WAS NOT HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED ABOUT UKRAINE.

HE ASKED, "DO YOU THINK AMERICANS CARE ABOUT UKRAINE?"

HE USED THE F-WORD IN THAT SENTENCE AND MANY OTHERS.

>> Stephen: I DON'T THINK POMPEO UNDERSTANDS THE REAL ISSUE.

UKRAINE IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE ARE GIVING AN F-WORD ABOUT HERE.

THEY GIVE AN F-WORD ABOUT THE PRESIDENT BLACKMAILING A FOREIGN

COUNTRY TO WIN AN F-WORDING ELECTION.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S BIDEN AND UKRAINE, OR BUTTIGIEG AND