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Stephen Colbert brought out Sean Spicer for his Emmys opening monologue

Stephen Colbert brought out Sean Spicer for his Emmys opening monologue

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69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Show
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue at tonight’s Emmy Awards was packed with jokes about the president, whom he referred to as the biggest TV personality of the year, citing as his influences House of Cards, the new American Horror Story, and all of late night television.

Colbert also detailed Trump’s history of accusing the Emmys of being rigged against him — which he tweeted before his presidential run and discussed in one of last fall’s presidential debates — and of mocking 2014 host Seth Meyers for having “marbles in his mouth.” The camera cut to Meyers, who spit out a bunch of marbles. That was probably the high point of the bit, which then turned to a special guest: former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

“This will be the largest audience to ever witness the Emmys.”

Spicer came out on stage with a mock-up of his old press conference podium, a reference to Melissa McCarthy’s popular impression of him on Saturday Night Live. He didn’t say much, just, "This will be the largest audience to ever witness the Emmys, period, both in-person and around the globe,” a small joke about the time that the president of the United States compelled him to tell that same lie about the 2017 inauguration crowds.

Colbert ended the bit saying, “Melissa McCarthy everyone!” as the stage lights went down on Spicer’s podium. McCarthy won a guest actress Emmy for the impression, and Spicer said earlier this week that he believes she should share it with him.

Spicer resigned from Trump’s administration in July, not because he was tired of being asked to lie to the American people or aggressively deflect valid questions from journalists, but because he did not like the recently-hired communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Clearly he wasn’t tired of being a meme either.