IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Fallon, Colbert and O'Brien team up for joint cold open in response to Trump's jabs

President Trump's policies may be polarizing, but a few of his recent comments have managed to unite part of the nation — the part that hosts late-night TV.
/ Source: TODAY

President Trump's policies may be polarizing, but a few of his recent comments have managed to unite part of the nation — the part that hosts late-night TV.

In a rare display of on-screen teamwork, three late-night leaders, all of whom compete in roughly the same time slot, teamed up for a joint cold open devoted to the commander-in-chief.

In a bit that served as the intro on Tuesday to both "The Late Show" and "The Tonight Show," Stephen Colbert kicked things off with a video call to Jimmy Fallon.

"Hey, lowlife," Fallon said.

"Hey, lost soul," Colbert shot back. "What are you up to?"

Fallon's answer? "Mostly whimpering." Meanwhile, his pal was "busy having no talent."

If it sounds like the funnymen were trading barbs with each other there, take heart — they were just quoting the president.

At a Monday night rally, Trump called Fallon a "lost soul," while dubbing "the guy on CBS" a "lowlife." He also took a swipe at "no talent" Jimmy Kimmel.

But according to Colbert, something was amiss with that claim. "That's Conan. Hold on, I'll get him."

And that's when a shirtless Conan O'Brien, half-covered in shaving cream, joined in the video chat. But with his own show currently in hiatus this week, he seemed out of the loop.

"Donald Trump? The real estate guy who sells steaks? He's president?" he said with an air of confusion. "Well, guys, give him time. And remember, be civil. If we're not careful, this thing could start to get ugly."

Fallon was already well aware of that, after the president tweeted a few personal jabs at him over the weekend.

As for Tuesday night's bit, it came to a close with an agreement that the hosts would meet up for lunch soon — at Red Hen.

While that televised collaboration was certainly uncommon, it wasn't quite unheard of. Late-night TV fans might remember that, during the 2008 Writers Guild strike, Cobert, O'Brien and then-"Daily Show" host Jon Stewart broke into a show-spanning, just-for-fun brawl.