Washington: US President Donald Trump’s trade policy has drawn fire not only from diplomats and economists, but from America’s most popular late-night comedians. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon used their Thursday shows to take aim at his new 50 percent tariff on Indian goods.
The penalty on India comes in two stages: a 25 percent hike that came into effect from August 7, followed by another 25 per cent due on August 27. Washington says the move is punishment for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The tariffs apply to a long list of products, from medical supplies to everyday consumer items.
On The Late Show, Colbert went straight for humour. He told viewers that the tariffs would push up the price of gauze, bandages and even wading. “Perfect time to introduce my new product, Steve’s wad. What is in them? What do you care? You are bleeding. It is a wad,” he joked.
He kept the jabs coming. “I hope you remembered to set your clocks back to ‘more expensive’,” Colbert said, referring to the scale of the global tariff rollout.
He called the hikes “huge” and emphasised that they raised import taxes to the highest level since the Great Depression of 1929. “Never a great sign to be compared to the worst thing ever,” he quipped.
Colbert pointed out that Brazil, like India, is also facing the full 50 percent tariff. “Bad news for meat-based Americans,” he deadpanned.
Jimmy Fallon, who hosts NBC’s Tonight Show, joined in the mockery. “Today more of President Trump’s tariffs went into effect for more than 90 countries, including Canada, Brazil and India. The only places Trump did not charge are North Korea and Epstein Island,” he told his audience.
The line landed in the wake of renewed scrutiny of the Trump’s administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Fallon said that Brazil’s tariff will hit tropical fruit prices hard. “Fifty per cent on Brazil will dramatically raise the price of bananas, mangos and pineapples. Edible Arrangements was like, ‘As long as you do not raise the price of cantaloupe and long toothpicks, we are good,’” he said.
Even everyday staples, Fallon warned, would not be spared. “Toilet paper will get more expensive. You know it is bad when people come out of the bathroom like, ‘Hey, where is that long CVS receipt?’” he said.
Covering over 90 nations, the latest round of tariffs has set the stage for a prolonged trade confrontation. In the meantime, Colbert and Fallon seem determined to keep turning the policy into late-night punchlines.
