Stephen Colbert Latches Onto One Disturbing Word in Trump’s Epstein Defense
“I’m sorry, what?” Colbert said.
Stephen Colbert was baffled by Donald Trump’s attempts to downplay his former friendship with Jeffrey Epstein—especially the claim that the president had “never had the privilege” of going to Epstein’s island.
Colbert played the clip of Trump saying this to his audience, who groaned at Trump’s choice of words. “I’m sorry,” Colbert said. “What? You never had the privilege of going to Epstein’s island?"
Epstein’s island, located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is alleged to be where a large amount of Epstein’s sex trafficking of young women and underaged girls took place.
Colbert joked in response, “Sadly, I never had the honor of dining with Jeffrey Dahmer.”
The Late Show is not the first to rip into Trump for his latest statement about Epstein. Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith quote-tweeted a video of Trump’s press conference, writing, “’Privilege’ is quite the word choice.”
Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon and former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, have also highlighted Trump’s use of the word.
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Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, also mocked the clip, writing, “Have we considered Trump won’t release the Epstein Files because he fears he’s not mentioned enough?”
"The privilege" is crazy. https://t.co/K8vitNjkLI
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 28, 2025
Colbert then played the bit of Trump’s Monday press conference in which he explained an unlike reason for why he stopped being friends with Epstein.
“For years I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn’t talk because he did something inappropriate,” Trump said.
“Finally, some moral backbone,” Colbert said, before playing the rest of the clip.
Trump explained that the “inappropriate” thing Epstein did was he convinced some of Trump’s employees to leave Trump and work for him.
“And I said don’t ever do that again,” Trump told reporters about Epstein. “He stole people that work for me!”
“Sorry Jeff,” Colbert joked, speaking in a Trump impression. “Underage sex trafficking is one thing, but I draw the line at you stealing my omelet man.”
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