Late-night host Stephen Colbert would trade in good ratings and give up his show if it meant President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE would resign, his bandleader says in a new interview.

John Batiste told the New York Daily News that Colbert, who hosts "The Late Show," would give up his high ratings tomorrow if it meant getting a "better president."

“Speaking on his behalf, he would trade better ratings for a better President,” Batiste says. “Absolutely. It hurts him.”

ADVERTISEMENT

At the same time, Batiste didn't rule out Trump making an appearance on the show, saying that Colbert has frequently offered the president an interview but has been met with no response.

“Anything is possible," Batiste says. "I’ll say this, it could happen, but I think there needs to be some time. I think there needs to be a little bit of time."

“The President’s spoken out about the show in the press, so I know at least at the time he watched, and it affected him," he adds.

Colbert is a vocal critic of Trump and has re-tooled the show's opening monologue to include frequent jabs at the president. Last week, he called Trump "a plump, overcooked turkey" in the show's Thanksgiving monologue.

Still, Batiste used fired White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci as evidence that the host is open to having former and current Trump administration officials on the show.

“I would say that the President is not necessarily holding out, but I think that that’s a question for him, not Stephen," Batiste says.

"I think it’s clear based on our record that Stephen would welcome the President or anybody who may have an opposing viewpoint or a difference of opinion. The Mooch (fired White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci) was an example. We have had guests on from across the spectrum and Donald Trump would be no exception.”