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Colbert Will Be Hosting A Live Post-Debate Show

by Erin Corbett

The first 2016 presidential debate is finally here, and on Monday night, our beloved candidates come face-to-face for the first time to discuss America's future. And of course, as the race to the White House only gets tighter between the Democratic and Republican nominees, the "Hungry for Power Games" continue. So is Stephen Colbert at the first debate? The Late Show host has some big plans for the 2016 debate season because a little comic relief will absolutely go a long way. Update: Colbert was not present at the debate, but appeared on The Late Show to discuss the debate after it ended.

Earlier: We aren't sure if Colbert will be at the official debate, but he is hosting a live post-debate show from the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York where he and guests, actors Rob Lowe and Kal Penn will unpack all the big moments of the night. On Wednesday night's segment of the Late Show just days before Monday's debate, Colbert told his audience, "we will be here live to help you relive all the big moments you just saw and are now drinking to forget." His segment will air live after the debate at 11:35 p.m. ET.

There has been a lot of anticipation leading up to Monday's debate. In fact, it has been one of the most highly anticipated debates in American history. And there's been a lot of talk about how each candidate has prepared for the first presidential debate. Well, they're not the only ones talking about preparation for Monday night. Colbert had a few things to say about his own preparation for his live post-debate show as well, noting to Entertainment Weekly, "Actually, there’s only so much you can do because, you know, the whole point is to do live-time reaction." He added, "It really was, 'How much of it can we make of what we just saw?' How fast can you turn the jokes?"

The Late Show executive producer Chris Licht told Adweek that the show's post-debate coverage will include a "supertopical, brand-new monologue, based on what millions and millions of people will have just seen on television." It's probably a safe bet that we will all need a little bit of comedy in our lives following the debate and Colbert is going to deliver. He's already giving viewers a taste of what to expect on his Twitter. He wrote, "Trump’s campaign manager called him 'the Babe Ruth of debating.' So it's official: he'll be drunk. #LateShowLive."

Heading into Monday's debate, polls indicated a "dead heat between Trump and Clinton" with Clinton leading at 46 percent and Trump at 44 percent. If anything, Colbert will help cool down the atmosphere and make us all laugh after such a serious event.