Stephen Colbert mocks Trump’s vague Greenland framework, calls it 'ricochet of an echo of a deal'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The namesake host of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on Friday, January 23, took a jab at President Donald Trump's Greenland "framework".
The comedian took aim at the announcement of what Trump has variously referenced as the "framework" or "concept" of a deal for maintaining US national security interest in Greenland.
He insinuated that Trump actually has no clear deal over Greenland.
Stephen Colbert slams Trump's Greenland framework
Colbert began by telling his viewers, "Before we get into the details of this framework, I have to warn you that there are none, and that the 'none' is also very vague."
showing clips of Trump’s recent interview with CNBC in Davos, where he is attempting to explain the supposed Greenland deal.
In one clip, Trump did not provide specifics, instead he stated, "We have a concept of a deal."
The video cuts to another clip from the same interview, where he reiterates, "That looks like we have pretty much a concept of a deal."
Kernen: “Can you go into what you just talked about with the NATO meeting?”
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) January 21, 2026
Trump: “Well, we have a concept of a deal.” pic.twitter.com/igCUhKeSXH
Colbert immediately jumped on the phrasing, sardonically repeating, "concept of a deal" to emphasize the vagueness of the phrase.
"Why does that phrase sound so familiar?" the host asks, before throwing up a clip from Trump's 2024 presidential debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, being grilled on whether he has an alternative healthcare plan for Obamacare, says "I have concepts of a plan!"
Colbert laughed at the repetition, joking that the public finally knows what Trump's replacement for Obamacare is: "Greenland!"
Colbert continued to hammer down his point about the lack of any solid information on the Greenland framework. He described it as the "concept of the framework, of a possibility, of a shadow, of a ricochet, of an echo of a deal."
Colbert jokes about consummating deals
He then displayed and read out a Truth Social post where Trump had first detailed the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and spoken about the framework.
Mimicking Trump, Colbert read, "Based upon a very productive meeting that I had with the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one."
( @realDonaldTrump - Truth Social Post )
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) January 21, 2026
( Donald J. Trump - Jan 21 2026, 2:27 PM ET )
Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Gre… pic.twitter.com/1Hb4Hx3SYz
Colbert paused on the word "consummated," jokingly questioning the President's choice of vocabulary.
"That's a weird phrase...'if consummated'," he says, before taking a dramatic pause and asking, "Is he...is he gonna f**k Greenland?"
That elicited a roar of laughter from the audience.
Trump drops tariffs following framework
After the announcement of the "framework" deal, Trump dropped his tariffs hike against European allies while also stating that the he would not use military force to acquire Greenland.
He claimed the deal would involve the "Golden Dome" missile defense system and Arctic security, but did not provide any further details on it.
"I didn't want to say yet," Trump told reporters when pressed on US ownership, calling the matter "complex" while insisting the US got "everything we wanted."