“He’s a dumb, dumb person.”

This is what Stephen Colbert had to say to last night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert guest Billy Bush in regards to Donald Trump bringing up the persistent Access Hollywood tape that haunted him to no actual consequence before his election last year.

Colbert and Bush were quick to get on point – there really is only one reason why he made an appearance on The Late Show.

Entering the Ed Sullivan theatre to Colbert’s house band Stay Human performing a very sorrowful version of “The Wheels on the Bus,” and to little applause, an optimistic looking Billy Bush sits down across from Stephen Colbert on Bush’s so-called career resuscitation tour.

The infamous Access Hollywood bus audio (in which Donald Trump brags about sexually assaulting women as a common practice), recorded in 2005 and released just before the 2016 presidential election, reared it’s ugly, combed-over head again when it was recently denounced by President Donald Trump as a hoax. It was fake, according to him, and that isn’t his voice. Billy Bush responded in turn, in a New York Times op-ed published on Sunday – it’s not fake. It seems obvious and not even worth questioning, considering the President himself apologized for what he said last year, recognizing that it was in fact him saying those things.

The word complicit was used – initially by Billy Bush himself. Bush has admitted wrong doing and shame, but hasn’t excused himself with a reason. Being the best late night host there is – one who isn’t afraid to get his metaphorical hands dirty; Stephen isn’t the type to sit across from someone who has something to answer for and playfully ruffle his hair. Stephen asks Bush questions that he simply has to address head on.

But if he’s anything, Colbert is fair. He allowed Billy Bush to speak his mind, primarily toward the injustice of Donald Trump being elected for the next President mere weeks after the tape surfaced, while Billy Bush was thrown under the bus.

It was a heavy interview, with very few laughs. In fact, the audience was more or less completely silent, except for a few moments. . Colbert threw Billy Bush a few softball lobs at Trump’s expense, to give the audience some breathing room and to help Billy Bush from the low-grade floundering he was doing out there (but it didn’t seem like it helped Bush all that much).

Just because The Late Show is a comedic variety show doesn’t mean that it can’t have journalistic prowess. Good on Stephen for handling the situation so well, and getting a great interview.

Be sure to Catch more of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing weeknights at 11.35 et/pt on Global, or watch the latest episodes online here on GlobalTV.com!