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Melania Gets Epic Late Show Sendoff: Watch Laura Benanti Channel Her Inner Beauty Upon First Lady's Return to NYC

Ryan Schwartz
·2 min read

New Yorkers have a message for the “Be Best” First Lady, who is reportedly contemplating a return to the Big Apple: “Be gone!”

That’s the gist of The Late Show‘s epic sendoff to Laura Benanti‘s Melania Trump, who appeared “one last time” during Monday’s episode and channeled her inner Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

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“I have spent the last four years serving in the White House, but all good things must come to an end. Also this,” she said. “The tragic events of the last couple of weeks, as well as all of the ones from all the years before have made me realize I need to think long and hard about what I should do next.”

But within seconds, she had already made up her mind: “I’m ditching that loser and moving back to New York, baby!”

And just like that, Melania was transported to the “Be Best-est” city on Earth. “The city that never sleeps with a porn star then lies to you about it,” she exclaimed. “Being here makes me feel, which is something I don’t normally do.”

What followed was a rollicking rendition of “Belle Song” complete with new, explicit lyrics to reflect Melania’s most unwelcome return:

“Here I am
It is your Melania
I’m all yours, lovely NYC
In New York with all my New Yorkers
Who can’t wait to sayyyyyy…

[New Yorkers chime in] F—k you!
You suck!
Wear a mask!
F—k off!
You suck!”

Though Melania chalked the initial chorus up to “colorful characters with their local expressions,” she eventually took the hint. She also contemplated an alternate reality where she stayed in Slovenia and never married Donald. Watch the full song-and-dance number below:

Benanti made her debut as Melania during Stephen Colbert’s coverage of the 2016 Republican National Convention — just one day after the real Melania was accused of plagiarizing parts of Michelle Obama’s keynote from the 2008 Democratic National Convention. That appearance went over so well that the character became a mainstay on The Late Show for the duration of the Trump administration.

Following Monday’s grand finale, Colbert tipped his hat to Benanti and thanked her for “her service to a grateful nation.” In turn, the Tony Award winner took to Twitter to thank Colbert and “everyone at @ColbertLateShow for welcoming me into your family. I love you all, and will miss you terribly.”

Will you miss Benanti’s Melania Trump impersonation? Press PLAY on the video above, then hit the comments with your reactions to her Late Show farewell?

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