After a day that saw the U.S. Capitol mobbed by Trump supporters and the temporary suspension of Trump from Twitter and Facebook for continuing to spread fraudulent information about the 2020 election, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert pulled an audible and aired a live episode to unpack the events of the day. In his nine-minute monologue, an emotional Colbert revealed how deeply the riots at the Capitol have impacted him. “I’ve rarely been as upset as I am tonight,†Colbert said, “and I’m sure you are too.†He goes on to ask one question of Republicans that supported Trump, specifically the Republicans in the joint session of Congress that convened today: “Have you had enough?†After lambasting Republicans for “five years of coddling this president’s fascist rhetoric,†Colbert suggests Wednesday’s deadly riot was almost a foregone conclusion due. “Who could have seen this coming? Everyone? Even dummies like me,†Colbert says. “This is the most shocking, most tragic, least surprising thing I’ve ever seen.†Yeah, no kidding.
Colbert continues his rebuke of Wednesday’s riot, calling out “the Republican senators that let this happen,†specifically Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, for “raising his stupid fist to the mob outside the Capitol†in a show of solidarity with the rioters. “Obviously he has to keep his fist closed,†Colbert quipped, “because if he opened it you’d see all the blood on his hands.†Colbert also called out Fox News for “years of peddling his conspiracy theories.†“It’s a horrifying day that will go down in U.S. history, however much longer that is,†Colbert laments. You can watch Colbert’s full monologue above.