Stephen Colbert Reveals What Trump Really Thinks Of The American Taxpayer

Stephen Colbert isn’t buying President Donald Trump’s latest excuse for restricting immigration. 

The Trump administration expanded its “public charge” rule, making it harder for anyone receiving any form of government assistance (a person who could become a “public charge”) to obtain legal permanent residence status.

Trump defended the move as saving taxpayer money. 

“I don’t think it’s fair to have the American taxpayer pay for people to come into the United States,” he said.

But the “Late Show” host noted the irony of Trump’s claim that he was trying to save money for taxpayers given that he was standing in front of a chopper ready to take him from one of his golf resorts to a White House event.  

Mimicking Trump, Colbert said: “American taxpayers should only pay for the important stuff, like my helicopter rides to and from the golf.”

Trump has spent more than 200 days of his 2½ years in office at golf resorts that he owns. So far, taxpayers have ponied up $110 million to fund those trips.

Taxpayers shelled out an estimated $106 million for all travel by President Barack Obama during his eight years in office, including golf trips, a cost that became a constant talking point for conservative groups such as Judicial Watch and Fox News hosts.

They have so far been largely silent on Trump’s resort expenses. 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report incorrectly stated that Obama’s golf travel cost $106 million over 8 years. That is in fact the sum of all travel expenses during his presidency.