When Donald J. Trump arrived on an escalator and announced on Tuesday that he would seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, he set off a gold rush among late-night comedians who could not wait to satirize his bombastic, digressive declaration speech.

On Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart gave thanks to the heavens, while on NBC’s “Late Night,” Seth Meyers presented a point-by-point takedown of Mr. Trump’s immoderate campaign promises.

And, in an online video, Stephen Colbert performed his own version of the speech, offering his mock support. (Describing Mr. Trump as someone who looks like “they raked his body out of the surf down in Cape May,” Mr. Colbert said, in an unplaceable, Trump-like accent, “That sends a message of confidence to voters that if you vote for him, he’s not physically dead.”)

But there is a crucial difference between Mr. Colbert and his comedic peers: He is not appearing on television and won’t be until Sept. 8, when he will take over as host of CBS’s “Late Show,” succeeding David Letterman, who stepped down from that program in May.