‘I would do it again’: Watch Stephen Colbert respond to backlash over (crude) Trump joke
#FireColbert might have been trending on twitter, but the talk show host was unapologetic.
US late night show host Stephen Colbert has made American president Donald Trump and his policies the subject of many blistering monologues. On Monday, many believed he went one step too far (video above).
“Mr. Trump, your presidency, I love your presidency; I call it ‘Disgrace the Nation,’” Colbert joked. “The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c— holster.”
After two days of being called on to apologise, Colbert finally responded in a monologue on Wednesday night. “Welcome to The Late Show, I’m your host Stephen Colbert,” he began. “Still? Am I still the host?” Raising his arms into the air, he added: “I’m still the host!”
“Folks, if you saw my monologue Monday, you know that I was a little upset with Donald Trump for insulting a friend of mine,” Colbert continued. “So, at the end of that monologue, I had a few choice insults for the president in return. I don’t regret that. I believe he can take care of himself. I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So, it’s a fair fight.”
Earlier, many commentators were critical of Colbert for the explicit statement, with the hashtag #FireColbert trending on twitter.
Homophobia for the right cause, with the right targets, is good homophobia, apparently. https://t.co/4rLd1wfTfA
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 2, 2017
The fact that Colbert can make homophobic statements shows his privilege & systematic oppression of minority groups.#FireColbert
— Scott Presler (@ScottPresler) May 3, 2017
This would be a fireable offense in better times. Worst thing about many Trump critics is they use him as an excuse to act as awful or worse https://t.co/7kIsJYHVnn
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) May 2, 2017