• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Stephen Colbert Totally Trolled Rachel Maddow’s Trump Tax Return Reveal

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 16, 2017, 8:38 AM ET

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow landed a major exclusive when she obtained access to part of President Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns — but she took her time to reveal the details on her show, and Late Show host Stephen Colbert is poking fun at her for the tease.

Just like Maddow held up the tax forms at the top of her show on Tuesday night, Colbert announced Wednesday that he had something significant of his own: a joke.

“We believe this is the first time any joke connected with Donald Trump has been released,” he said.

The breaking news bar at the top of the screen, which closely resembled MSNBC’s, read “BREAKING NEWS: DONALD TRUMP HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR.” The subsequent banner said, “BREAKING NEWS: PREAMBLE GOING ON WAY TOO LONG”

And just as he was about to reveal what was in the “joke,” he cut to a commercial.

“So without further ado,” he said, “why did the chicken cross the road?”

He shuffled his papers.

“The answer, right after this break.”

Watch it above.

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Jim Carrey almost returned a $20 million paycheck, with interest, for his hit role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
Jim Carrey nearly quit ‘Grinch’ and offered to return his $20 million paycheck. Then the founder of SEAL Team Six came to the rescue
By Nino PaoliDecember 16, 2025
5 hours ago
Reiner
LawObituary
In 1987, she photographed Donald Trump for ‘The Art of the Deal.’ 2 years later, she met Rob Reiner on the set of ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
By The Associated PressDecember 15, 2025
15 hours ago
Trump
PoliticsWhite House
Trump may have hit a new low as he blames Rob Reiner’s death on ‘Trump derangement syndrome’
By Michelle L. Price and The Associated PressDecember 15, 2025
15 hours ago
Peter
LawM&A
Netflix CEOs seek to reassure staff about Warner Bros. deal
By Rose Henderson and BloombergDecember 15, 2025
15 hours ago
Rob Reiner
LawCrime
Rob Reiner’s 32-year-old son in jail after fatal stabbing at Los Angeles home
By Christopher Weber, Michael Balsamo and The Associated PressDecember 15, 2025
15 hours ago
italy
Arts & EntertainmentFood and drink
Italian cuisine, and even the rituals surrounding it, get an official UNESCO world heritage designation
By Paolo Santalucia, Silvia Stellacci, Nicole Winfield and The Associated PressDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
'I had to take 60 meetings': Jeff Bezos says 'the hardest thing I've ever done' was raising the first million dollars of seed capital for Amazon
By Dave SmithDecember 15, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meetings are not work, says Southwest Airlines CEO—and he’s taking action, by blocking his calendar every afternoon from Wednesday to Friday 
By Preston ForeDecember 15, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Sorry, six-figure earners: Elon Musk says that money will 'disappear' in the future as AI makes work (and salaries) irrelevant
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 15, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Deloitte's CTO on a stunning AI transformation stat: Companies are spending 93% on tech and only 7% on people
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, December 15, 2025
By Joseph HostetlerDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Ford writes down $19.5 billion as it pivots electric Lighting line of vehicles
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 15, 2025
16 hours ago