'I do occasionally use adult language - and I do it in public instead of the privacy of an Access Hollywood bus'

Stephen Colbert has reacted with delight after being verbally attacked by the President of the United States.

“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 this week. “And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him.”

Opening last night's Late Show with his usual monologue, Colbert said: “The president of the United States has personally come after me and my show, and there’s only one thing to say: YAY!"

After rubbing his hands together with glee, Colbert continued: “Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump, 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! I won.”

He also had a repost to the "filthy" language jab.

"You’re not wrong. I will give this to the man, you’re not wrong," he admitted, "I do occasionally use adult language - and I do it in public instead of the privacy of an ‘Access Hollywood’ bus.”

In the Time interview, Trump also went after Colbert's ratings, saying: “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.”

To the delight of the audience, Colbert had an answer to this too:

"It’s true, the night you appeared on this show … was very highly rated. In fact, the only episode that got better ratings was the night I had Jeb Bush on.” 

Bush's Late Show appearance attracted 6.6m viewers in September 2015, compared to Trump's 4.6m.

“That’s right. You got beat by low-energy Jeb. But don’t worry — you won the ratings college.

“And making jokes about you has been good ratings. It’s almost as if the majority of Americans didn’t want you to be president! “But you know who has got really bad ratings these days? You do. Really terrible approval numbers. I hear they’re thinking about switching your timeslot with Mike Pence.”

“But since all of my success is clearly based on talking about you, if you really want to take me down, there’s an obvious way,” Colbert continued. “Resign.”