Former National Security Adviser
John Bolton faced a formidable interview opponent on The
Late Show this week.Bolton's latest TV appearance to promote his new book was on Stephen Colbert's Late Show on Tuesday, and it was far from a softball interview, with Colbert grilling Bolton and at numerous points laughing out loud at his answers.Bolton's statement, for example, that many
Republicans back
President Trump because he won't be subject "to the pressure of the left" like his
Democratic alternative, Colbert immediately chuckled, interjecting, "No, he's going to be subject to the pressure of
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping!"From there, Colbert said it's "exasperating" that Bolton, who has published a tell-all book about his time in the
White House, is expressing surprise at the behavior from Trump he alleges he witnessed, asking, "How did you not know beforehand that he was just callow?""Because I couldn't believe it was that bad," Bolton responded, an answer that earned another huge laugh from Colbert, who questioned how Bolton could be "naive" like this. Bolton shot back, "You've really insulted me now by calling me naive."Watch a portion of the tough interview below.