‘Late Show’ Auditions Trump’s ‘Puppets’ for Voice of Kermit the Frog
Several of President Trump’s most trusted advisors found their words fired back at them from an unusual source Wednesday night. Sean Spicer, Ben Carson and Donald Trump Jr. were lampooned in the cold open for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – by none other than Kermit the Frog.
Earlier this week, news broke that Steve Whitmire, the man who has voiced the iconic green amphibian since Muppets creator Jim Henson (the original voice) died in 1990, is leaving the Muppets and will be replaced by voice actor Matt Vogel. That gave Colbert a huge opportunity: to hold an “audition” for Kermit’s new voice.
First up on the roster is Spicer, whose White House press briefings have become the stuff of comedy routines and head-scratching analyses.
“OK, Sean, remember Kermit has to be relatable to children, so let’s try to keep it light and fun, OK?” Colbert can be heard saying off-camera as Kermit fidgets onscreen.
“You had a, you know, someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” Spicer’s voice emanated from Kermit’s mouth, a direct clip taken from the press secretary’s questionable claims about the Holocaust.
Trump Jr. is then brought to the hot seat, with recent quotes about his headline-making email fiasco spilling out of Kermit’s mouth.
“Someone sent me an email,” Trump Jr.-as-Kermit says. “I can’t help what someone sends me.”
Off-camera, Colbert jokingly scolds Trump’s progeny. “He’s a frog, but he’s not dumb. Can you say something a little less stupid?”
Trump and his family’s ongoing Russia scandal has been largely ripped apart in the late night circuit in recent days. On Tuesday, Andy Serkis offered a sinister take on Trump’s recent tweets by reading the presidential messages in the voice of his famous character, Lord of the Rings’ Gollum.