The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Sydney Sweeney | Flyers' Remorse
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Stephen Colbert delivers his signature, razor-sharp monologue on timely political chaos and viral news stories before sitting down with Sydney Sweeney, star of Euphoria, The White Lotus, and the new biopic Christy. The discussion ranges from Sweeney’s rural Idaho roots and skydiving adventures to her role as boxer Christy Martin and the business acumen she wielded as a determined 10-year-old. Through it all, the episode maintains Colbert’s mischievous wit and Sweeney’s infectious candor, offering insight into both celebrity life and national absurdities.

Monologue Highlights & Political Satire

The Government Shutdown and Its Fallout

• Shutdown record: Colbert marks day 37 of the government shutdown, the longest in American history, jokingly declaring himself “the law” at the Ed Sullivan Theater due to the absence of the federal government.

  • “Here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, I am the law. Mostly because there’s no federal government right now. So somebody's got to be the law.” — Stephen Colbert [01:04]

• Travel havoc: Air travel chaos looms as air traffic controllers go unpaid. The FAA’s forced 10% flight cut spawns Colbert’s quip about buses:

  • “Maybe time to try your new favorite airline, the bus. You know their slogan, the bathroom door is stuck open.” — Stephen Colbert [02:39]

• Thanksgiving travel: Massive airport delays (TSA lines over three hours) provide comedic opportunity.

  • “America’s dad said, well, well, well, who’s leaving for the airport too early now?... So if you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, you might want to leave now.” — Stephen Colbert [03:40]

Election Results & Trump’s Reaction

• Election losses: Colbert covers defeats for Trump-backed candidates, including in New Jersey and Virginia, and mocks Trump’s attempt to spin the results:

  • “Yeah, that sounds like what you’d say after a Tinder date where someone had to go to the hospital. ‘Well, we had an interesting evening. We learned a lot.’” — Stephen Colbert [04:25]

FIFA’s Peace Prize for Trump?

• Absurd awards: He riffs on rumors of Trump possibly getting a new “FIFA Peace Prize.”

  • “It’s given exclusively to world leaders who stop wars using only their feet.” — Stephen Colbert [05:17]

  • “It’s going to be hilarious when they give it to Obama.” — Stephen Colbert [05:32]

Trump’s Big Pharma Weight Loss Meeting

• Presidential overshares: Colbert skewers Trump for naming staff on weight loss medication in public, lampooning the resulting privacy invasion:

  • “Can you do that? You can’t just rattle off prescriptions your staff is on. Walter, Walter, is he here? Walter, how’s the herpes doing?” — Stephen Colbert [07:52]

• Dr. Oz’s math fail: Colbert mocks claims of “Americans losing 135 billion pounds by the midterms,” calculating that means 393 pounds per person.

  • “I’m going to wear a two-piece next summer.” — Stephen Colbert [09:33]

• On a medical fainting incident: He notes the irony and comedy in a pharmaceutical executive fainting at the meeting—while surrounded by pharmaceutical executives.

  • “Quick, quick. Someone maximize shareholder value.” — Stephen Colbert [10:44]

Viral News: The “Sandwich Trial”

The Salami Sandwich Incident

• Sandwich as weapon: Colbert covers the strange case of a protester on trial for throwing a salami sandwich at a border patrol officer.

  • “It smelled of onions and mustard and exploded all over my chest. Exploded all over your chest? Are we testifying or writing steamy sandwich porn?” — Stephen Colbert [15:04]

• CSI parody: Playfully critiques the seriousness of the trial with a mock segment, “CSI: Criminal Sandwich Investigation,” using a t-shirt cannon to test sandwich lethality.

  • “…the late show’s crack forensic squad has recreated the exact hoagie conditions…using the latest, state-of-the-art Sandwich Simulator 5000. Which is definitely not just a T-shirt cannon with a $5 footlong shoved in it.” — Stephen Colbert [16:42]

• Verdict: Charges reduced and, eventually, a “not guilty” verdict announced.

  • “That’s a wrap. And justice is on a roll.” — Stephen Colbert [17:56]

Main Guest: Sydney Sweeney Interview

Segment Starts: [19:25]

The GQ “Men of the Year” Connection

• Poolside encounter: Colbert and Sweeney recall meeting at the Chateau Marmont as GQ “Men of the Year.”

  • “I’m not really sure why you’re a man of the year.” — Sydney Sweeney [20:08]

  • “Maybe mankind in the broadest possible sense.” — Stephen Colbert [20:12]

• Magazine covers: Both share and compare their GQ covers in good humor.

  • “I can’t even tell the difference between the two of us.” — Sydney Sweeney [20:54]

Idaho Roots & Family Connections

• Family property: Sweeney reveals she lives in Idaho, next door to her grandmother, on a lake her family has inhabited for generations.

  • “My grandma’s my neighbor.” — Sydney Sweeney [21:14]

  • “I walked up and I knocked on the door and I said, I want to buy back my great grandma’s house.” — Sydney Sweeney [21:53]

• Family chaos: She affectionately refers to her family as “Camp Run Amok.”

  • “We run amok.” — Sydney Sweeney [22:15]

Her Unusual Hollywood Origin Story

• Early ambition: Recounts how her parents dismissed acting as a fantasy (“like being a princess”).

  • “So then I put together a five-year business plan presentation when I was 10 years old.” — Sydney Sweeney [22:43]

• PowerPoint hustle: Details her childhood PowerPoint and determination.

  • “My mom has [the original PowerPoint], and I keep asking her, pull it out.” — Sydney Sweeney [23:11]

  • “Please come back before this show’s over and do us your PowerPoint presentation.” — Stephen Colbert [23:14]

Skydiving Shenanigans

• Facing her fears: Although afraid of heights, Sweeney recently went skydiving—after a 3 a.m. bar crawl.

  • “I went bar hopping till 3am and then I went skydiving at 6.” — Sydney Sweeney [24:16]

• High tension:

  • “I was a little worried stuff would come out... Not be the only thing falling out of the sky.” — Sydney Sweeney [24:22, 24:27]

• Summary: Despite her fear, it was “a blast.” [24:33]

Boxing Movie: Playing Christy Martin

• Athletic background: Sweeney grew up doing kickboxing and grappling (Jiu Jitsu-wrestling).

  • “It's like a superpower. It's pretty cool.” — Sydney Sweeney [25:56]

• Role preparation: Training for her role, she faced her real-life inspiration, Christy Martin.

  • “I was like, am I good? Do you like me? … She started yelling from the bottom of the ring, ‘Get him with your left hook!’ And I’m like, Christy, you know what I’m gonna do. It’s your fights.” — Sydney Sweeney [27:55]

• On Christy Martin’s legacy:

  • “She’s one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met…she has fought so many battles within the ring and outside the ring, and she is…incredible.” — Sydney Sweeney [27:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sweeney’s GQ award:

  “I think it's maybe mankind in the broadest possible sense.” — Stephen Colbert [20:12]

• On family history:

  “We run amok.” — Sydney Sweeney [22:15]

• Sweeney’s child-business acumen:

  “I put together a five-year business plan presentation when I was ten years old.” — Sydney Sweeney [22:43]

• Skydiving after a bar crawl:

  “I was a little worried stuff would come out... Not be the only thing falling out of the sky.” — Sydney Sweeney [24:22, 24:27]

• On playing Christy Martin:

  “It’s like a superpower. It’s pretty cool.” — Sydney Sweeney [25:56]
  “She’s one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met… she is incredible.” — Sydney Sweeney [27:36]

Key Timestamps

• Monologue & Political Satire: 00:56–11:34
• Sandwich Trial Segment: 13:21–17:56
• Sydney Sweeney Interview: 19:25–28:15

Episode Tone

• Original Language: Quick-witted, irreverent, and playful; genuine curiosity and warmth during the interview.

This episode blends Colbert’s trademark satire with a candid, engaging discussion with Sydney Sweeney, revealing the grit behind her Hollywood ascent, her enduring family ties, and her capacity for wild adventure—on screen and off.