Colbert gleefully responds to President Trump calling him a 'no-talent guy'

CBS's "Late Show" host has spent months eviscerating President Donald Trump on television, clearly trying to provoke a reaction. It didn't work. Until today.

"You see a no-talent guy like Colbert. There's nothing funny about what he says. And what he says is filthy," Trump told Time magazine. "And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him."

Trump also took credit for Colbert's newly improved ratings: "The guy was dying. By the way, they were going to take him off television. Then he started attacking me and he started doing better. But his show was dying. I've done his show. . . . But when I did his show, which by the way was very highly rated. It was high - highest rating. The highest rating he's ever had."

In a preview clip released by CBS, Colbert addressed the quote in his Thursday night monologue. "The president of the United States has personally come after me and my show," he started solemnly. "And there's only one thing to say."

Colbert then broke into a gleeful, maniacal cackle. "Yayyyy!" he exclaimed, rubbing his bands together, looking genuinely grateful as the audience chanted "Steph-en! Steph-en! Steph-en!"

"Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump," Colbert said, composing himself as the crowd noise died down. "There's a lot you don't understand. But I never thought one of those things would be show business. Don't you know I've been trying for a year to get you to say my name?! And you were very restrained. Admirably restrained."

"But now you did it!" Colbert said triumphantly. "I won."

Trump's reference to Colbert being "filthy," of course, refers to the oral sex joke that Colbert made last month about Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. ("The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c- holster.") After a backlash from some viewers that sparked a #FireColbert hashtag, Colbert acknowledged that he could have used a less crude phrase, but refused to apologize.