Stephen Colbert wouldn’t interview Trump out of respect for the presidency

Stephen Colbert says he wouldn’t have Donald Trump back on “The Late Show” because he has respect for the oval office and the president does not.

The CBS funnyman, who had candidate Trump on his show in 2015, was asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper if he’d interview the president now. For the sake of the nation, Colbert said, he’d take a pass on the surefire ratings bonanza.

“No, because it would be hard for me to be properly respectful of the office because I think that he is disrespectful to the office,” Colbert said.

According to Colbert, Trump lives in a “fantasy world” that he’s trying to draw the public into, and that’s not deserving of reverence.

“It’s very hard to perceive him as I would want to perceive a president in terms of their status and the dignity and the representation of the United States,” Colbert said. “I think just for safety’s sake it wouldn’t be a good idea.”

When Colbert hosted Trump in 2015, he thanked the reality TV star for seeking office and running an entertaining campaign. He also drew a comparison between Trump’s rhetoric and that of the faux right wing talk show host Colbert played on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” from 2005 to 2014.

“For years I played an over-the-top conservative character,” he joked. “Not as long as you did, but for many years.”