海角大神

In many ways, it was a dream matchup: Donald Trump versus Stephen Colbert, who played a faux-Trump character on his old 鈥淐olbert Report鈥� Comedy Central show.

This face-off took place Tuesday night on the set of Mr. Colbert鈥檚 new hangout, the CBS 鈥淟ate Show." There must have been fireworks, right? You鈥檝e got Mr. Trump, who鈥檚 pushing a harsh anti-immigration program and continues to imply that he thinks President Obama was born in Kenya, talking with a skilled host who, in his new incarnation as a real person, appears to lean to the left.

Not really. What you got was an encounter of the mild kind. Trump seemed toned-down in front of an audience he assumed would not be supportive. Colbert seemed unwilling to offend his guest.

For instance, at the start, Colbert apologized to Trump for the many times he had insulted Trump in the past. The billionaire accepted this gesture with equanimity. He declined for anything he鈥檇 said about anyone. (Megyn Kelly, anyone?)

Trump seemed un-Trumpian. He kept nodding in response to Colbert鈥檚 jokes, saying agreeably, 鈥淪ure, you鈥檙e right." When he talked about building his wall on the southern US border, and invoked the Great Wall of China, Colbert interjected that Jesus had helped build that.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e right, you鈥檙e right,鈥� said Trump. Then, he barreled back into his immigration talking points.

One moment of near-tension illustrates the show鈥檚 dynamic. Colbert said that he would offer Trump an easy "big, fat meatball" question. 鈥淭here鈥檚 sauce all over my hand this meatball is so big,鈥� Colbert said.

Then, he asked this: 鈥淏arack Obama, born in the United States?鈥�

Trump skittered sideways, implying again that he continues to believe in the discredited notion that the president is a foreigner, and thus constitutionally unfit for the job.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really talk about it anymore,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 talk about jobs, I talk about our veterans being horribly mistreated.鈥�

Colbert didn鈥檛 press the issue, so Trump rambled for a bit on the veterans subject. In doing so, he鈥檚 behaving as a skilled politician, we鈥檒l point out. Good politicos know that when you鈥檙e hit with a tough question, answer the question you wish they鈥檇 asked, not the actual query.

That鈥檚 what Ben Carson did not do when asked whether a Muslim should be president of the US. He said they should not, producing days of negative headlines for himself, and possibly damaging the GOP as a whole.

One of the biggest laughs of the encounter came at the end of in which Trump had to guess whether a particular quote came from himself or from Colbert鈥檚 conservative 鈥淐olbert Report鈥� character.

The final quote was, 鈥淭he real strong have no need to prove it to the phonies."

Trump said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not me. It could be you.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not me, either,鈥� said Colbert. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Charles Manson.鈥�