Stephen Colbert defends whistleblower Rick Bright from Trump’s tantrum

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert responded to President Donald Trump’s attempt to discredit Dr. Rick Bright.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump added another name to his list of enemies. Dr. Rick Bright’s harsh criticism of the government’s pandemic policy made him the subject of the latest presidential outburst. And once again, Stephen Colbert was the one ready to respond.

Bright filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that he was ignored when he tried to warn the Trump administration about COVID-19. He also indicated that his hesitation to support hydroxychloroquine as a treatment option led to his removal from his post at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The vaccines expert then gave testimony in front of Congress on Thursday. He was extremely critical of the federal response to the pandemic and warned about reopening the country. It was the kind of public statement that always catches the attention of President Trump. Bright’s dismissal wouldn’t be the first time a government official was reassigned or removed for questioning the president. And similar to those other instances, President Trump was sure to share his thoughts on Rick Bright.

So on Thursday night’s The Late Show, Stephen Colbert chose to come to Bright’s defense. It was an easy decision for Colbert given his self-proclaimed “thing” for science and his disdain for Donald Trump as a leader.

As Colbert notes, President Trump went on the offensive before Dr. Bright’s testimony even began. This is usually a clear giveaway that whatever was coming was going to be very bad for Team Trump. The president’s Twitter account has always been used as an attempt to control news cycles and change the narrative. Yet the pandemic has shown that this playbook can’t be applied here.

Colbert reiterates many of the points Bright made during his testimony. They are similar to what the Late Show host has been saying since quarantine began: the lack of competent leadership has had a catastrophic effect on the country.

Still, the president has continued to defend his actions and pointed the finger at anyone else. Colbert’s monologue highlights how President Trump continues to contradict opinions from medical experts like Dr. Bright and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Colbert doesn’t see how anything will change nor does he expect change to come. He sees President Trump’s response to the rising death toll as proof enough the White House will never side with science or rely on the guidance of individuals like Dr. Bright or Dr. Fauci.

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.