Stephen Colbert calls for the moral leadership Trump won’t deliver

Stephen Colbert argued that President Donald Trump is incapable of providing leadership.

After taking last week off, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert made its much-anticipated return on Monday night. Fans eager to hear host Stephen Colbert reflect on the demonstrations and riots across the country were not disappointed.

The death of Geroge Floyd while in police custody set off a number of protests and riots both in the U.S. and abroad. What was already a time of tension only escalated and there appears to be no indication that things will deescalate.

For that to happen, Stephen Colbert thinks moral leadership needs to be on display. But even after his public comments on Monday, President Donald Trump is not the man to set the example. This was the argument Colbert made in his Late Show monologue.

Calling racism America’s “pre-existing condition,” Colbert examined why Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests have pushed the pandemic off the front page. And once again, Colbert lays much of the blame for the state of things at the feet of President Trump.

Stephen Colbert says President Trump has failed to follow the example set by others.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has long argued that President Trump is unfit for office. Allegations of corruption and incompetence have been common in Colbert’s monologues. The novel coronavirus pandemic and now this period of unrest have provided the show with even more proof: President Trump’s lack of morality to guide his leadership.

Colbert argues that President Trump has failed to follow the example set by predecessors like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and even Richard Nixon. However, the Late Show host notes that the current president has done little to reassure the nation or attempt to offer words of comfort.

In response. Colbert mocks the president for his “tough guy” routine in which he encouraged governors to dominate protestors and put people in jail for 10 years. But at the same time, Colbert notes that President Trump took shelter in the White House bunker and tweeted out threats. He echoes fellow comedian Seth Meyers in noting a failure to bring people together.

So what is the solution to the lack of leadership? Colbert sees hope in examples of people working together, peacefully demonstrating, and protecting one another. He acknowledges that he makes jokes about President Trump but is sincere in expressing his belief that a majority of Americans will do the right thing. The example has to come from the bottom up because Colbert sees no way for it to come from the White House.

Every late night host has shared thoughts on the protests and current state of the country. What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s response? Let us know in the comment section below.