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00:01The Late Show presents a holiday message from Weird Al.
00:07Hi, everyone. Weird Al here.
00:09I just wanted to take a moment and remind you all that this holiday season is the perfect time to gather together with your loved ones
00:17and remember the most important thing of all.
00:20My last name is pronounced Yank-a-vick, not Yank-a-vitch.
00:24For too long, people have been messing it up, calling me Weird Al Yank-a-vitch.
00:29That stops now.
00:31The Yank-a-vicks didn't come to this country with just an accordion on their backs
00:35and the wrong words to other people's songs and their hearts just to have their names mangled and butchered.
00:42Unless, wait a minute, what if Yank-a-vitch is the real pronunciation and Yank-a-vick is the parody?
00:49I mean, the ick's not just funnier. It's, you know, aggressive K. Oh, no.
00:54Have I gone so far down the rabbit hole of satire that I don't know what's real and what's a spoof?
01:00Have I become a parody of myself? Am I Yank-a-vick or Yank-a-vitch?
01:05I don't know which one is which or wick one is wick.
01:09Is this even my real hair?
01:12My entire life is a lie! No! No!
01:22Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Or is it Chanukah?
01:27It's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
01:33Tonight, Land of the Freezing.
01:36Plus, Stephen welcomes Jen Psaki and Weird Al Yank-a-vick.
01:44Featuring Lewis Kato and The Late Show fans.
01:49And now, live on tape from the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City, it's Stephen Colbert!
01:59Oh, there you go!
02:04Oh, there you go!
02:06Oh, there you go!
02:09Oh, Ryan!
02:11Oh, Ryan!
02:13Oh, Ryan! There you go!
02:14Oh, there you go!
02:15Oh, move!
02:16Oh, move!
02:17You gotcha!
02:18Thank you, friends.
02:19Welcome.
02:20Welcome, one and all.
02:22My friends and neighbors, welcome to The Late Show.
02:26I'm your host, Stephen Colbert.
02:29Folks, there has been a story going around in the news the last couple of days.
02:36And, frankly, we've been hesitant to touch it.
02:39But it feels irresponsible to stay silent any longer.
02:42It's cold outside.
02:45Yet, only a few months ago, it was not.
02:49Where does this end?
02:51April?
02:53Thanks, Donald Trump.
02:55Right now, right now, an Arctic blast is sweeping down the country, especially in the Midwest.
03:03In Chicago today, wind chills were expected to reach as low as 20 degrees below zero.
03:08And if it's...
03:09Listen, I lived in Chicago.
03:10Please, everybody in Chicagoland, if it's that cold, please remember to layer.
03:14I mean, just look at this tragic picture of a Chicagoan trying to hail a cab today.
03:20Yesterday, yesterday, uh, Trump met auto industry leaders and announced that he's throwing out all the rules Biden put in place to encourage companies to make cars electric.
03:30This is a green new scam.
03:33And people were paying too much for a car that didn't work as well.
03:37All of the nonsense is being taken out of the cars.
03:40All you need in a car is the basics, folks.
03:43You need a gas pedal, you need the steering wheel, and a little hula lady on the dashboard.
03:49There you go.
03:51Brrrr.
03:52Dance for me, tiny ukulele bride.
03:55Look, don't go trying to peek underneath her skirt.
03:58I checked.
03:59It's all spring.
04:02Trump, Trump discussed other EPA standards he's throwing down the well.
04:10We're canceling the EPA's absurd tailpipe emission standards.
04:14Well, that makes sense.
04:15He'd want to change that.
04:16I mean, standing behind a tailpipe is how he applies his makeup.
04:19Rev it up!
04:30It's not clear how getting rid of these standards is gonna lower car costs or really help anyone.
04:36So this morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy went on the TV to defend it.
04:41I want the market to decide what kind of EV I should offer.
04:44What kind of vehicles do the American consumers want to buy?
04:47This rule will actually allow you to bring back the 1970s station wagon.
04:52That's right.
04:53We're going back to the 70s, everybody.
04:55Come on, kids.
04:56Hop in the station wagon.
04:58No seat belts, so hold on tight to your beers.
05:03Now...
05:06There you go.
05:09Now, everybody...
05:10Everybody roll up the windows.
05:11Daddy needs a smoke.
05:16Don't...
05:17Don't want you kids missing any of the flavor.
05:23Yesterday...
05:25Trump...
05:26Trump slapped his name on another building in D.C.
05:29because the State Department announced the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
05:36Ah, ah, ah.
05:38Now, now, he's certainly a piece of something.
05:42Now, the State Department...
05:44The State Department tweet says they renamed the building to reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history.
05:59What are you talking about?
06:01The greatest dealmaker?
06:03Are these people forgetting our founding father, General Wayne Brady?
06:07He could sing, too.
06:11Yeah.
06:12Critics were surprised because previously the administration had called the Institute of Peace bloated and useless.
06:18So, Donald Trump, this...
06:21This afternoon...
06:23You got there first?
06:25Did I get there first?
06:27You got to be careful where I point this.
06:33This afternoon...
06:35Trump doubled down on his pacifist credentials, celebrating a treaty he negotiated in Africa with the banner, Delivering Peace.
06:43But he had an unusual choice of pre-show music.
06:47Live and let die!
06:49Live and let die!
06:54Live and let die!
06:56Yes, it's the most inappropriate music choice since that famous footage of the Hindenburg.
07:02This girl is on fire!
07:07There we go.
07:12Speaking of peace, war.
07:17You'll recall that Trump and his secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, are in a bit of hot water
07:23because the United States military has been bombing what they say are Venezuelan drug smuggling boats
07:28without presenting any evidence, as you do.
07:30Back in September?
07:32Back in September, they seem to have gotten a little loosey-goosey with international law
07:36when they launched a second strike to kill any survivors of a first strike that they had made.
07:41Hegseth is just frantically pointing the finger at Navy Admiral who is overseeing the operation, Frank Mitch Bradley.
07:51Today, Mitch testified, and to be frank...
08:03Things went Bradley.
08:06Reportedly, the admiral defended his actions, arguing the two survivors were attempting to continue their drug run
08:21because they were seen still aboard the damaged vessel alongside packages of illegal narcotics.
08:26Yeah, but the boat was blown to bits. How are they going to continue their drug run?
08:31Ride to Miami on the back of dolphin drug mules?
08:36Wait, what's that, Flipper?
08:40Wait, you want to start a band?
08:43Flipper, are you high?
08:45I knew it. I knew it.
08:49That's why they call it a blowhole.
08:52But wait, there's Dumber.
08:57The military is also claiming that the survivors were still a threat
09:01because they took a hostile action, which in this case was radioing for help after their boat was hit.
09:07You blew them up for touching their radio?
09:11Who are they, your dad on a road trip?
09:15All right, come on, kids.
09:18Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!
09:25Hands off, it's the Bruce Springsteen Serious Channel.
09:28Until we hit international waters, then it's all Steely Dan.
09:40We're also learning that in October, Hegseth ousted a different admiral
09:44who expressed concerns about the legality of the boat bombings, Admiral Alvin Halsey.
09:49Hegseth also reportedly fired Halsey because he was suspicious that Halsey
09:53might have been the source of media leaks.
09:55Oh, come on, who would he have leaked to?
09:57Admiral Halsey, notify me.
10:01Okay, all right, all right.
10:03Don't touch Dad's radio.
10:05Don't touch Dad.
10:06It's my Spotify.
10:09Prior to all the war-crimey stuff, Secretary Hegseth was best known for revealing war plans
10:14on the non-secure app Signal in a text chain that oops-a-daisy included
10:19The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
10:22Well, that scandal has reared its delicious head again because today,
10:27the Inspector General's report dropped and found that Hegseth risked
10:30compromising sensitive military information which could have endangered American troops.
10:35That's surprising.
10:36Usually, to endanger the lives of American troops, Hegseth uses an axe.
10:44So, real footage.
10:50Now, just how-how did the intrepid Inspector General uncover that Hegseth revealed
10:56when the first bombs might drop?
10:58Well, it could have been when Hegseth posted in the chat,
11:01this is definitely when the first bombs will drop.
11:05So, I'm not sure how much longer he's gonna be sec-deaf.
11:08But don't worry, he already has a fallback position lined up.
11:11He's gonna be wingman for that drunken raccoon.
11:14Now, they remembered.
11:18They remembered.
11:20We're getting close to the last days of 2025, which means Spotify is doing their year-endless.
11:32Turns out Bad Bunny is their most-streamed global artist of the year.
11:36That's not a surprise.
11:38No surprises there.
11:39I'm a tastemaker, and Bad Bunny came on my show.
11:43Same reason all the kids are shaking their booties to the latest banger from Ken Burns.
11:51But most exciting of all, Spotify Wrapped is here,
11:54and this year there's a new feature called Listening Age,
11:57which tells users how old their music taste makes them.
12:00For example, if you listen to a lot of music from the early 70s, Spotify thinks you're 67.
12:06And because my top artist of the year was Majestic Tropical Thunderstorm by Music for Deep Sleep,
12:11Spotify accurately predicted my age as 4 billion years old.
12:26Spotify also added something called Clubs, which sorts listeners into groups based on their tastes.
12:31If you like upbeat music, you're in club serotonin.
12:34And if you listen to over 1,000 minutes of Kid Rock, you're in club court-ordered DUI class.
12:40Of course, folks are already looking ahead to next year, because today Pantone revealed its 2026 color of the year.
12:54Ooh, what is it? Is it a zesty yellow, a creamy blue, a sultry green with a checkered past,
13:00and a secret family two towns over? Prepare your eyeballs, everybody.
13:05Because here it is, white.
13:09Really?
13:11You know you've given up when someone asks,
13:12what's your favorite color? And your answer is, pizza napkin.
13:17Now, technically, technically, folks,
13:19Pantone says the color is Cloud Dancer.
13:22No! Cloud Dancer is the name of a toy unicorn,
13:25or what your aunt insists you call her after she went to Burning Man.
13:29We've got a great show for you tonight.
13:31My guests are Jen Psaki and Beard Al Yankovic.
13:36But when we come back, meanwhile, join us, won't you?
13:40The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance.
13:55Only pay for what you need.
14:10Lewis, Tato, and the band, everybody.
14:13Come on.
14:14Come on, y'all.
14:16Tonight.
14:17Oh, we're gonna have a hot time in the old town tonight.
14:22Oh, yeah.
14:23Tonight, we've got a great guest.
14:24We've got Weird Al Yankovic will be out here.
14:26Is it a while?
14:27Before that, from MS Now, the anchor Jen Psaki will be out here.
14:32Or as I'm calling her tonight, Wacky Jen Psaki.
14:37Folks, most of the time we write a meanwhile introduction,
14:43but sometimes the journalism and English students
14:46at Tenaflight High School in New Jersey
14:48are asked to write their own meanwhile intros for a class assignment,
14:51so we just steal theirs in the easy meanwhile intro
14:55that is this meanwhile intro.
14:57You know, I spend my time right over there.
14:59All of my poor nugatory time right over there.
15:02Right over there.
15:03Selecting only the sweetest pies from the bakery of news.
15:05Basking in the new sun.
15:07Nominating only the most distinguished seat.
15:09At the Gilded Atelier of Truth.
15:11Selecting only the most pristine news items.
15:13And baking them into a delicious dessert of truth.
15:15My tan reaches its peak in the soft glow of the evening.
15:19Six million ton platform bench of erroneous information and false witnesses.
15:23Sparkling artisanal commentary.
15:25The full-bodied, faintly nutty, and somewhat chocolatey mug of news.
15:29That is my nightly monologue.
15:31But sometimes.
15:32Just sometimes.
15:33Sometimes.
15:34I end up rummaging through the back alley behind the news bakery.
15:37I face plan.
15:38I find myself picking up a grubby plastic soda cup.
15:41The unwashed bucket of information gruel.
15:43The septic sludge.
15:44That is my segment.
15:45Slightly undercooked casserole.
15:47That is my segment.
15:48Diabetes inducing Baja Blast concentrated syrup.
15:51That is my segment.
15:52The hospital call worthy sludge.
15:53That is my segment.
15:54The economy section mix of news.
15:56That is my segment.
15:57The coffee stain.
15:58That is my segment.
15:59The coffee stain.
16:00That is my segment.
16:01Meanwhile.
16:02Thank you, Tenafly journalism and English students.
16:08You all get A's.
16:10You will all receive A's and a subpoena from CBS's lawyers.
16:14Meanwhile, a desk used by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien
16:20is set to be auctioned in London with a guide price of $67,000 to $100,000.
16:28I don't care.
16:30I don't care.
16:31Just sell the boat.
16:32Oh, the kids like the boat?
16:34Sell the kids.
16:35I love you, baby doll.
16:38Meanwhile, a widow and widower fell in love during water aerobics.
16:44They wed in the pool where they met.
16:48That is fantastic, because it proves it's never too late to find love
16:52and then completely forget to book a wedding venue.
16:56Besides, I believe weddings should be fun and pools are fun.
17:00I just hope they didn't consummate it in the jacuzzi.
17:05Old folk's in a hot tub.
17:21We were gonna cut that whole story.
17:25It's like, it doesn't really have an out.
17:26I don't really know what the hat out is, you know, like that.
17:29And I just said, I don't know.
17:31Is really the joke old folk in a hot tub?
17:34And then my exec over here, Tom Purcell, said to Lewis,
17:38you got a song for that?
17:40And Lewis said, I'll work on it.
17:43And I think less than nine minutes later,
17:46that audiophile showed up on your phone.
17:49And I went, I'm in.
17:53That's how you do it, folks.
17:55It's called teamwork.
17:57Make the dream work.
18:02Meanwhile, Japan has unveiled a human washing machine,
18:06so now you can get washed like laundry.
18:09I'm sorry, but this is a new level of lazy.
18:12Soaping and rinsing ourselves is just too much for us now,
18:16so we need to lie immobile while a machine hoses us down,
18:20which is frankly pathetic, and yes, I would like one, please.
18:23Anyway, let's be honest.
18:27We know what's gonna happen in that thing.
18:29Open the in the washing machine.
18:33Was I even close?
18:37Was my lip match even close?
18:39I can't hear a damn thing.
18:41Six more months now.
18:48Meanwhile...
18:50There you go.
18:55Meanwhile, in couture news, this week,
18:58Chanel held a fashion show in the New York City subway.
19:01Got to be a weird day on the C train.
19:03Don't worry, honey, that's not a subway masturbator.
19:05That's a subway masturbator in Chanel.
19:10And we have a photo of one of the actual models
19:12from the Chanel show.
19:14Absolutely stunning.
19:15Reminds me of that famous saying by Coco Chanel,
19:18before you leave the house, look in the mirror
19:20and put a crab trap on your head.
19:26Meanwhile...
19:28In safari news, do lions have accents?
19:32A study shows big cats from different African regions
19:35roar in distinct dialects.
19:36It's true.
19:37You can actually tell where some lions come from
19:39by how they roar.
19:41Listen carefully.
19:42Crikey!
19:46We'll be right back with Jen Psaki.
20:02Welcome back, my loves.
20:08Ladies and gentlemen, my first guest tonight
20:11is a former White House press secretary
20:12and the host of The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MS Now.
20:16Please welcome back to The Late Show, Jen Psaki.
20:19Welcome back.
20:36Now the last time we spoke, you worked for MSNBC.
20:40You presently work for MS Now.
20:42I do.
20:43How often, and be honest, do you make the mistake
20:46and call it MSNBC?
20:49Every once in a while.
20:50Okay.
20:51It's okay.
20:52Because I might during this interview.
20:53It's totally fine.
20:54You're not getting any demerits.
20:55It's okay.
20:56Now, you were at the White House press podium
21:01for how long were you there?
21:03A year and a half, but I was at the State Department
21:05for two and a half years.
21:06At that podium?
21:07At that podium.
21:08Okay.
21:09I've done a lot of podiuming.
21:10Now, for the people who may have forgotten,
21:13the Pentagon put out a directive this year saying,
21:18you got to sign an oath essentially of loyalty
21:21to Pete Hegseth and you can't report anything
21:23that we don't approve of the Pentagon or else
21:25we're pulling your passage and you can't come back
21:27into the Pentagon.
21:28So now they just got...
21:29Exactly.
21:31It's like, it's like Matt Gaetz and Laura Loomer
21:33in there now, right?
21:34Not just like, they are literally in there.
21:36And James O'Keefe, who is, you may remember from publishing
21:40Ashley Biden's diary.
21:42He's also in the press.
21:43So those are the clowns that got in there now.
21:45Yes.
21:46But still, wouldn't you...
21:47I mean, they're just softball questions.
21:48Wouldn't that have been lovely for you as the person
21:50at the podium?
21:51What is the value ultimately of the press knowing anything?
21:54Go.
21:55What a good question, Steven.
21:56Yes.
21:57I mean, look, I stood behind podiums for years.
21:59I probably did thousands of hours behind podiums.
22:02Taking real questions.
22:03Taking real questions.
22:04Some questions I answered better than other questions.
22:08But I did that because I'm a firm believer,
22:11as I think so many Americans are, that the freedom of press
22:14and the fact that the U.S. government has people who stand
22:17up there and answer real questions every day,
22:19including when they're tough questions,
22:21when the administration needs to be held to account.
22:23Democrats and Republicans, that's a part of our democracy.
22:26It's a part of what we talk about in other parts of the world.
22:31And that's why I did it.
22:34Even on days where I would walk out there and, you know, curse under my breath
22:38and know I was about to get a verbal beating from the press corps,
22:41it still is such an important part of what you do.
22:43The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over First Amendment rights.
22:47Do you think that they got any legs?
22:49Maybe.
22:50I think what's so interesting about this.
22:52Let's move on.
22:53Well, I think they did.
22:55I don't know.
22:56No, no.
22:57Well, I can't speak to what the courts are going to do,
22:59but what I mean is this.
23:00What is so interesting right now in Washington is what is happening
23:03with the Pentagon press corps.
23:04It actually surprised me what they did.
23:06And you referenced, of course, the fact that they were all asked
23:09to sign this pledge that they would basically not report
23:12any information the Pentagon didn't authorize,
23:14which is not how reporting works in any way, shape, or form.
23:18And you know what?
23:20Give credit where credit is due.
23:22Fox News refused to sign that.
23:24I think Newsmax refused to sign it.
23:27All of the major outlets, for the most part, with some exceptions,
23:30refused to sign that.
23:32And this lawsuit is all about how they are not being able to report
23:37on what is happening in the department that oversees war
23:42and peace in our country.
23:43This would be a good week to be able to ask questions, too.
23:46Well, I think you've talked about this, but I could not get over.
23:50They had the press corps.
23:52I'm going to put them in quotes because it includes Laura Loomer
23:54and James O'Keefe and this crew.
23:56It's not a real press corps.
23:58So this week has been quite a week, as you outlined in your monologue,
24:01of things anyone here, anyone watching might have questions
24:05for Pete Hegseth.
24:06Yeah.
24:07They had a press briefing with him where they could ask anything they wanted,
24:10and they made no news.
24:13No news at all, which is pretty remarkable.
24:15But I will say what is encouraging to me, at least,
24:19is that all of these outlets that did not sign the pledge,
24:22that no longer have desks in the Pentagon, they have been making tons of news.
24:28They have been reporting.
24:29Yeah, because you don't need a desk.
24:30The Wall Street Journal.
24:31The Washington Post.
24:32You need a telephone.
24:33You need a telephone.
24:34You need to be fearless.
24:35And you need to hold the administration to account.
24:38Any administration, that is.
24:39Now, let's talk about Congress.
24:41I want to get back to the Pentagon in a second,
24:42but I want to talk about Congress for a second.
24:44Mike Johnson is...
24:46Little Mike Johnson.
24:47Little Mike Johnson.
24:48Somebody's a little boy.
24:50Be careful.
24:51No.
24:52He's in a little hot water.
24:53The GOP narrowly won a special election in Tennessee.
24:58I mean, by nine points, but Trump won the district by 22 points.
25:0122, last year, a year ago.
25:02So that's a big swing.
25:04His lack of leadership is being criticized by other members of the GOP,
25:10some quite publicly.
25:11What's going on in the House?
25:13Well...
25:14Is it really his fault?
25:15Isn't it Trump's fault?
25:16He's not running anything.
25:17Trump's running everything.
25:18Well, first of all, Mike Johnson is the Speaker of the House
25:21and second in line to the presidency.
25:23He's the most powerful person in one of the branches of government.
25:26And he absolutely should be running things,
25:29which he has declined to do because he's waiting for phone calls
25:32from Donald Trump, I believe.
25:34But what has been interesting is there has been a lot of dissatisfaction
25:39with him from many members.
25:41Elise Stefanik, I don't know what's...
25:43She's very mad.
25:44I can just say that.
25:45You can see it in the public reporting at Mike Johnson.
25:47Very running for governor.
25:48She's very running for governor.
25:50Yes.
25:51Nancy Mace.
25:52She's very crazy.
25:54Also true.
25:55Very crazy.
25:56But that aside, they're part of his caucus.
25:59Democrats only need a net gain of three seats
26:02in order to be in control of the House of Representatives.
26:07It's a very slim margin.
26:09Yeah.
26:10And already there are members speaking up publicly
26:12and speaking privately and saying,
26:14I don't like how Mike Johnson treats me.
26:16I don't like how Donald Trump treats me.
26:17I may resign before even next November.
26:19People are.
26:20It's not just MTG.
26:21Other people are resigning as well, aren't they?
26:23Yes.
26:24And are threatening to resign.
26:25Nancy Mace, she may be crazy, but if she leaves Congress,
26:28that's one seat that Mike Johnson doesn't have.
26:30We have to take a quick break.
26:31We're right back with more Jen Psaki, everybody.
26:33Stick around.
26:41Hey, everybody.
26:42We're here with MS Now's Jen Psaki.
26:48You're obsessed with a lot of people asking this question,
26:51what is the future of the Democratic Party?
26:53Okay.
26:54I'd like to broaden that slightly.
26:57I read this morning in our news breakdown
27:00that a recent poll shows that in 2016,
27:0451% of the American public said that they paid some
27:08or a lot of attention to the news every day.
27:10Now that's 36%.
27:12That's an enormous percentage drop.
27:14Doesn't it seem that people are just sort of checking out
27:18and believing that paying attention to what's happening
27:20to politics is actually going to have some impact
27:22on their life?
27:23What can either party, and you can start with the Democrats,
27:25what can either party do to make people begin to believe
27:28again that they should pay attention to what politicians
27:31are doing?
27:32Well, look, I think people, a lot of people,
27:34friends of mine too, kind of opted out after the election
27:37last year, wanted to turn off the news, didn't want to pay
27:39attention to it.
27:40What I always tell people is if you don't engage in it and
27:43don't pay attention to it, it's still moving forward without you.
27:46I mean, people are still being elected.
27:48Congress could still change hands or not.
27:50If you remove yourself from the process,
27:52it just means you don't get to share what your view is on it.
27:54But in terms of politicians, I think a couple things they can do.
27:58One of them is they need to just burn the talking points
28:02in a big bonfire of all of the national groups,
28:06including the national parties.
28:08Who's doing that well?
28:09Is there anybody who's doing that well already?
28:11I do think there are a number of people who are doing this well.
28:14I think AOC is doing this well.
28:16I think she is doing it well.
28:17I think Chris Murphy is doing this very well.
28:20I think Gavin Newsom is doing this well.
28:22Wes Moore is doing this well.
28:24There are a number of people, Josh Shapiro.
28:26I think it was, the election was a big wake-up call a year ago,
28:30and it should have been.
28:31And I think it made clear for a lot of people who were in office
28:35or wanted to run for office that you have to speak like a human being,
28:38which sounds very obvious.
28:40Start with what you think and then start telling people what you think.
28:43You don't need poll-tested language.
28:45You don't need things that sound so carefully put together.
28:48Speak like a human being.
28:50The other thing I think that people can do to start winning back trust
28:54is showing up in places that are unexpected.
28:57You know, we've had a lot of time, spent a lot of time, politics,
29:00politicians spend a lot of time spending money on ads,
29:03even on social media, too.
29:04And it's about showing up in communities where people may not agree with you,
29:07where they can ask questions, where you can do town halls.
29:10I've seen some people start doing that.
29:12I think that's a very positive thing, and there needs to be much more of it.
29:15Now, one of the things in the off-year election that we just had,
29:24where Spamburger and Mikey Sherrill and Mamdani won here in New York.
29:29You know, affordability, affordability was the word that was used.
29:33What do you make of Donald Trump last week saying
29:36that he is the affordability president,
29:39and then a few days later saying affordability is a democratic scam?
29:43The affordability, let's start there.
29:46Exactly. How's the messaging going on?
29:48Well, look, I would say as somebody who really would like to see one...
29:53the Democratic Party take over some part of government
29:57so that they can be a check on Donald Trump.
29:59May all the Republicans running repeat the message
30:02coming out of the White House moving forward.
30:04It's a great message. Keep at it, everybody.
30:06There you go. So, yeah.
30:08That is not a workable message.
30:10I don't know why he's doing it, but I hope they echo him, which they may.
30:14You worked for two commanders-in-chief, and I'm just curious,
30:17when you look at the various ways that these strikes on these boats,
30:24these alleged drug boats, that when these strikes have been originally reported
30:28and ordered, and there have been 10 of them now, I think 88 people have been killed in all,
30:32something in that area, and when you hear about a changing story about why there was a second strike,
30:39or actually it was a third strike, actually no, it was fourth strike,
30:42and Donald Trump says, I don't know what any of that was about.
30:46Have you ever seen another commander-in-chief so out of the loop when it comes specifically
30:51to acts of war against another nation against whom we have not declared war?
30:57I mean, I've never seen another president out of the loop, period, so much.
31:00But national security issues, it's true. I hate to say that. It's sad that that is true.
31:08He's also very sleepy, so he's napping sometimes.
31:10But national security issues, I worked for two presidents.
31:14It's not just that they were up to speed on what was happening.
31:17They demanded to know what was happening.
31:19I would be sitting in the Oval Office with President Obama, with President Biden,
31:23and there might be any range of military actions, not illegal ones happening
31:28where people are being killed that are war crimes, not those, but any type of military action.
31:33And you might be in the middle of a meeting about something else, and they would say,
31:36I need an update from the Secretary of Defense.
31:38I need an update from the National Security Advisor.
31:40Because they felt the most serious thing and decision that came to their desk
31:44was decisions about life and death and putting our men and women in uniform in harm's way.
31:50And that's what I always experience.
31:54Well, Jen, thanks so much for being here.
31:55Thank you. Good to see you again.
31:56Thanks for having me.
31:57The Briefing with Jen Psaki airs Tuesdays through Friday on MSNOW.
32:02Jen Psaki, everybody. We'll be right back with Weird Al Yankovic.
32:20Welcome back, everybody.
32:22Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning musician
32:26who's hitting the road again for his bigger and weirder 2026 comedy tour.
32:32Mr. Yankovic, your weirdness, we're ready for you.
32:40Okay, great. Cool. Cool.
33:01Please welcome back to The Late Show, Weird Al Yankovic.
33:05Fantastic.
33:26Al, the building is abuzz that you are here.
33:29I'm abuzz too.
33:31Well, listen, I want to thank you.
33:34I didn't get a chance to talk to you that night.
33:36I want to thank you for coming the night, first show after we were canceled.
33:40You came on with Lin-Manuel Miranda to help us celebrate.
33:43This whole birthday we did.
33:47And so thank you for that.
33:48What I didn't know is that you and Lin-Manuel are buddies.
33:53Yeah, we're old friends.
33:54How did that happen?
33:56He came to my house once like pre-Hamilton and was like, we should work on a musical together.
34:02I was like, yeah.
34:04He just cold called you?
34:05Well, I mean, I told my, we had the same agent and I let them know that I was maybe interested in doing something on Broadway.
34:12They said, we get this young up and coming guy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, maybe you guys could do something together.
34:16And we haven't yet to this point done something, but we became friends.
34:19All right. Good things are worth waiting for.
34:22Yes, indeed.
34:23Obviously, you're the king of music parody.
34:25You've been, you've been ruling the kingdom.
34:29It's been a long reign.
34:31You've been at it since your first, your debut single, My Bologna in 1979.
34:38There you go.
34:41My college DJ year.
34:43Is that college?
34:44Yeah, that's college.
34:45That's fantastic.
34:46Can you believe you've been doing this for 46 years?
34:48Yeah, it's pretty crazy.
34:49It's been a minute.
34:50It's been a minute.
34:51What did you, like, what was the plan?
34:53Was it, was this always the plan?
34:54Well, no.
34:55I mean, you know, I went to college to get a degree in architecture, which I got.
34:58I use all the time.
34:59But no, I graduated.
35:02I thought, that's not really my passion.
35:04I want, you know, let me see if I can get a record deal.
35:07And, and nobody wanted to sign me.
35:09I mean, I, they said, oh, you're very funny.
35:11This is amusing.
35:12You're a genius.
35:13My Bologna was a hit.
35:14Ew.
35:15It went vinyl.
35:16You know, it's old, like.
35:18I remember listening to it.
35:20Did you?
35:21In 1979.
35:22Yeah, exactly.
35:23I was a sophomore in high school.
35:24Oh, wow.
35:25I was core audience for you.
35:26Yeah.
35:27Well, nice.
35:28On Dr. Demento.
35:29It wasn't until a few years later.
35:30I mean, I was trying to get a record deal.
35:31And nobody wanted to sign me because, you know, what I do is considered novelty music.
35:34Because anything humorous in rock and roll is considered novelty.
35:37Yeah.
35:38And novelty is sort of the domain of one hit wonders.
35:40It historically does not have a long shelf life or a long career trajectory.
35:43Yeah.
35:44And people are like, ah, we want, we want to assign people that, you know, are going to be around for a while.
35:48So, you know, 46 years later, I'm here on The Late Show.
35:52And, uh...
35:54That's nice.
35:55A lot of people at that time are not so lucky.
35:58What was the moment when you thought, okay, this could actually be my career.
36:01This is not, this, I'm not a flash in the pan.
36:03It was right before I walked out tonight.
36:05It just kind of...
36:08Woo!
36:09Finally settled.
36:10Yeah, no.
36:11Finally settled.
36:12I guess, I mean, I made the decision to be, like, weird out full time.
36:15I think it was 1982, because I had just signed a record deal.
36:19And that doesn't mean you're going to be famous or rich or anything.
36:21It just means, like, we've got you under contract.
36:23Sure.
36:24They didn't give me a big pile of money.
36:26But I was still working in the mail room, literally for, like, $5 an hour,
36:29which I think was minimum wage back then.
36:31And I picked up the mail one morning from the post office,
36:33and sticking out of the sack was the new Billboard magazine.
36:36And I opened it up to the Hot 100 chart, and I was on the Hot 100 chart.
36:40And, uh...
36:43And that was the day I gave notice.
36:47Okay, you hit a milestone this summer when you played Madison Square Garden
36:51for the first time, which I'm really surprised.
36:54There you are.
36:55And if you look closely on the sign, it says sold out at the bottom of it.
37:00Yeah.
37:01I'd never even been inside Madison Square Garden, and then I was headlining.
37:04Well, you got a hell of a view of nearly 20,000 people excited for you to be there.
37:10Pretty crazy.
37:11What's it like?
37:12What was it like for you to play the world's most famous arena?
37:15It's amazing.
37:16You know, I played a few arenas that size before, but there's so much cachet and history to MSG.
37:21And even before I played there, I walked around, you know, the garden, and there's posters all over the place from, you know, Elton John and, you know, Taylor Swift and all these people.
37:32Oh, it's the greatest venue in the world.
37:34And there's one from Eddie Vedder saying, you're nothing until you've played Madison Square Garden.
37:38So no pressure or anything, you know, but now Eddie Vedder thinks I'm something.
37:42So I'm very happy about that.
37:43That's right.
37:44Congratulations.
37:47I'm still waiting.
37:48Now, you got the new tour.
37:49Here we go.
37:50These are all the, you won't be able to see this, but these are all the tour dates.
37:52This is a massive tour.
37:53Let me read them all to you.
37:54There you go.
37:55Yes.
37:56From Hollywood, Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bigger and Weirder 2026.
38:02What are Weird Al fans going to get with this one?
38:04Well, if they saw the tour earlier this year, it's the same tour.
38:09Oh, good.
38:10But for the people who aren't familiar, you know, I've done a couple, like, smaller tours.
38:13I did the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, which is a very scaled-down version of the show.
38:19This is the big tent, big show, big production, playing the hits, all that.
38:22Costume changes.
38:24Costume changes, film clips, props, the whole bit.
38:27And we doubled the size of the band.
38:29I'm still playing with the same guys that I played with in the early 80s, and they've been with me the whole time.
38:33But we wanted to make this bigger.
38:35Well, yeah.
38:36That's fantastic.
38:39We wanted to make this bigger, so we added four new people.
38:42And I wasn't sure, like, you know, I'd hired them based on, you know, referrals and through YouTube videos.
38:48And I thought, yeah, these guys will work out.
38:49But I never really knew if they were going to fit in, you know, because you have to have a certain kind of temperament
38:53to be part of this show.
38:54Yes.
38:55But not only are they all, like, world-class musicians and multi-instrumentalists.
38:59Well, there's one guy, Proben Gregory, who played with Brian Wilson for, like, decades.
39:04Wow.
39:05And I'm like, wow, this is really cool.
39:06He's in the band.
39:07You know, there's one song.
39:08Could you, would you mind, like, for this one song, just dressing up like a janitor and mopping the stage for three minutes?
39:14He's like, sure, I'd love to.
39:16So they have the right state of mind.
39:19Well, Al, it's lovely to see you again.
39:20You too.
39:21Thanks so much for being here.
39:23Tickets to his bigger and weirder 2026 tour are available right now.
39:28It's Weird Al Yank, everybody.
39:35That's it for The Late Show, everybody.
39:51Join us next week when I'll have Sigourney Weaver, Laura Dern, and Kate Winslet.
39:56Good night.
40:26Ah!
40:32ah
40:34Ah
40:39Ah
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