On Monday’s episode of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, there was a comedic moment involving left-wing host Stephen Colbert and actress Laura Benanti, who portrays Melania Trump.
During the show, Colbert mentioned that President Donald Trump “was absent for some time this summer, likely due to health concerns,” adding, “I’ve heard he has something called chronic venous insufficiency.”
“Unfortunately, that’s accurate. He has a rather small vein, and it’s just not very effective,” Benanti responded, adopting a playful imitation of the First Lady’s accent.
Colbert then addressed the recent buzz around Jeffrey Epstein, stating, “I need to ask about one of the major stories linked to your husband’s presidential campaign. Epstein has been in the news quite a bit lately.”
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Benanti’s Melania, appearing shocked, oddly speculated about Epstein possibly being alive.
“Oh my gosh, they found him? We’re doomed!” Benanti’s character reacted, to which Colbert replied, “No, no, Mrs. First Lady, Jeffrey Epstein is deceased.”
“Oh, right, I know that. I mean, I wasn’t there. No one was, but that’s what everyone agrees on. It’s kind of great, but really sad, too,” Benanti responded as her character.
Colbert asked, “Do you think he might be on Epstein’s list?” implying that the existence of a photo of them together could suggest a connection.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Stephen, I can’t hear you,” replied Benanti, pretending to be disrupted by static noise that muffled his voice.
Colbert exclaimed, “Mrs. First Lady, we can’t just vanish when things get tough!” To which she countered, “Oh yes, you can, Stephen!” and then disappeared from view.
“Wow, she actually did it. What just happened?” Colbert mused to himself.
He was soon interrupted, though, when Benanti’s character reappeared, saying, “Sorry, I forgot my hat,” as she grabbed a hat resembling the one worn by the real Melania Trump during President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, before disappearing again.
