Former House Speaker John Boehner quickly turned to Meghan McCain The view Monday morning. Later that night, he faced a somewhat more formidable interviewer in Stephen Colbert.
Boehner, whose new book On the House: A Washington Memoir Described as “juicy” and “candid,” Colbert promised to be just as revealing during his Late show appearance. Over Bourbon and Cabernet, Boehner rant about the various “bastards” he faced during his time as “mayor of Crazytown” in politics. He also eagerly reiterated his new name for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), “Lucifer in the flesh.”
But when Colbert urged him to explain how his party was going so far from the deep end, Boehner tried “both sides” Democrats and Republicans. He blamed the “right-wing media” for “wanting more noise,” but then said, “The problem is not only the far right, but the far left as well.”
“I think the Republicans have gotten better at having a media arm that helps blow their worst instincts than the Democrats, but if both sides do, then how come Nancy Pelosi can bring her madmen together and you not yours? “
Boehner admitted that Pelosi did “a better job” of keeping the Democrats together than the Republican leaders, but then tried to say it was because Republicans are more “independent-minded” than Democrats.
“Wait a minute, I don’t think that’s true!” Colbert fired back.
From there, the host tried to get Boehner to admit that Trump’s role in the January 6 uprising essentially made him a “political terrorist,” but he opposed the label. Recognizing that he voted for Trump in 2020, Boehner claimed he suddenly felt “ abused ” when the former president refused to admit, claiming the election was stolen.
By the time they got to the “speed lap,” in which Colbert asked for immediate responses from the most powerful politicians of the last twenty years or so, Boehner was mostly generous. He called Mike Pence a “really good guy, solid Christian,” would just say Trump was a “little crazy,” and nicknamed Mitch McConnell “Stealth Vader.”
Colbert insisted on explaining what happened to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), but Boehner merely called him ‘one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet in your life’.
“Like it funny haha or the like funny what the fuck is wrong with that guyThe host asked in response.
Boehner claimed that Graham is legitimately funny and also a “pretty good dancer” on the issues.
But when it came to Cruz, he couldn’t hold back. “Lucifer in person,” he said again with a smile, before adding, “The most miserable bastard I’ve ever dealt with.”