Stephen Colbert breaks down mixed messages from Trump and Fauci
By Matt Moore
Stephen Colbert explained how Dr. Anthony Fauci disagrees with President Donald Trump’s notion that we’ve “prevailed.”
One of the biggest criticisms against the White House’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the lack of a clear message. Guidelines shift, experts are contradicted, and more uncertainty than reassurances coming from press briefings. Stephen Colbert discussed the latest example during Tuesday’s Late Show monologue.
Per usual, late night television hosts have been harsh on President Trump during the pandemic. Seth Meyers and John Oliver stand out for zeroing in on the mixed signals and poor messaging coming from the current administration.
Colbert took his turn on Tuesday, covering the Senate testimony of Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci has attempted to the voice of reason and often is tasked with spinning President Trump’s comments during press briefings.
As Colbert explained, Fauci by no means sugarcoated the novel coronavirus outlook. The problem is that his assessment directly contradicts President Trump’s message that we have “prevailed.”
When it comes to pandemics, Stephen Colbert sees two options on who to follow: President Trump and his questionable treatment ideas or Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Fauci is just one of the medical experts that appears to be on a different page than President Trump. The Late Show shares a clip of the president declaring that the country has “met the moment and prevailed.” Colbert is optimistic but realistic by calling the president’s assessment “premature.”
When a reporter had the same thought as Colbert, President Trump offered clarification that the U.S. has prevailed on testing. But the Late Show host wasn’t buying that either, reminding President Trump that the country is behind schedule on testing compared to other nations.
Colbert understands that President Trump is doing anything he can to project strength and safety. Yet even the president’s work environment isn’t immune to the pandemic. It’s proof that the public should listen to Dr. Fauci over President Trump, concludes Colbert.
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What did you think of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s monologue? Let us know in the comment section below. For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.