Even as the FBI began carrying out sweeping arrests of the agitators who attacked the Capitol last week, Stephen Colbert asked, “You know who doesn’t take alt-right terrorism seriously? The president.”
During his Late show Tuesday night, the host focused on a new report blaming President Trump for the riot on “antifa people” in an appeal with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy this week.
“What the hell are you talking about ?!” Colbert exclaimed. “You invited those rioters to your Washington meeting. They wore your shirts, your hats, waved your flag! And they cheered when you told them to march to the Capitol. From now on, neurologists are going to hold up such pictures to move victims and say, “Can you tell me whose supporters these are?” And if they don’t say, “They’re MAGA people,” you know it’s time to take their car keys. “
The “antifa excuse” was “so ridiculous,” said the host, that “even Kevin McCarthy’s normally spine-free zone” turned against the president. “Finding out so late in the game that Kevin McCarthy can name reality despite the president’s lies is like finding out that Tom Hanks in Cast away had a boat all the time! “
As for what comes next, Colbert didn’t have much hope that enough Republicans would be willing to vote for Trump’s resignation in his final week. “Republican lawmakers urgently need the president’s supporters to like them,” he said. “I mean their hands are tied – almost literally.”
And in response to Republicans now calling for “unity” after backing the effort to reverse the election results, he did not hold back. “OK, let’s unite in punishing all insurgents and their political leaders who legitimized their murderous fantasies,” he said. “There cannot be a cure until the disease is identified and removed and you can do it now! The tumor lost its Twitter feed! “
With Democrats taking action to “stop this from happening again by getting rid of the man who caused it,” Colbert asked the Republicans, “What are you willing to do to help? Because you haven’t done anything so far. ! “
“They just declared a free and fair election – one that you knew was free and fair – but you lied about it anyway,” he continued. “Because you wanted the campaign money and the eyes and you were afraid to anger your boss and his MAGA monster!”
“Your lies legitimized the fantasies of a violent, anti-democratic gang that nearly killed you and your colleagues, and killed a police officer!” Colbert explained. Now you want to use your hollow cry for unity to sweep everything under the rug? Well, good luck with that, brother, because the rioters have shit on your carpets too. “
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