Stephen Colbert reacts to Trump’s attacks on Dr. Fauci and threats to schools

Stephen Colbert says President Donald Trump has no plan for the pandemic

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert returned from a two-week-long break on Monday night and picked up right where it left off. Stephen Colbert once again questioned President Donald Trump’s leadership, citing the latest examples related to the ongoing pandemic.

Colbert’s monologues have always made it clear that President Trump isn’t fit to lead in any capacity, much less during a national health crisis. The Late Show has condemned the Trump administration over failing to react in a timely manner, trailing other nations in testing, and its plan to rush back to “normal” despite the rising number of cases.

Now it seems as if the White House has a new plan and it has nothing to do with how to stop the spread of COVID-19. Instead, it involves discrediting Dr. Anthony Fauci and pushing schools to reopen in the fall or face severe consequences.

For Colbert, it feels like a new low point when the expert on infectious diseases is portrayed as the bad guy and the health and safety of children are put at risk. He explained it all during Monday night’s Late Show monologue.

Stephen Colbert called out President Trump for trying to distract Americans

The White House contradicting the advice of health experts and denying certain scientific findings is nothing new. President Trump’s rallies and public appearances did not follow social distancing or mask guidelines despite recommendations from medical professionals like Dr. Anthony Fauci. But an active effort to discredit and dismiss Dr. Fauci is taking things to a whole new level in Colbert’s eyes.

Colbert has a clever response to the White House’s claim that Americans should be concerned about how often Dr. Fauci has been wrong. The Late Show reminds everyone how President Trump said novel coronavirus cases were going to go down to zero, it would disappear with the warmer weather, and that perhaps disinfectant could be used to treat COVID-19.

The attack on Dr. Fauci is a desperate move, says Colbert, just like the push to reopen schools. Schools reopening on time in the fall would look good for the Trump administration and boost his re-election bid. However, the facts indicate that a more cautious approach should be taken. But President Trump demonstrated more disregard for science and instead threatened to withhold funding for schools that failed to open.

Together these are meant to be a distraction, argues Colbert. President Trump does not have a plan for the pandemic and is incapable of devising one as a leader. So instead, he distracts Americans with rhetoric about riots and monuments and attempts to strongarm schools into acting as if everything is normal.

President Trump’s decision to finally wear a mask in public has been called “too little, too late.” Colbert certainly won’t give the president any credit especially when it comes during attacks on Dr. Fauci’s reputation and the potential endangerment of children. If President Trump reverses course on those two issues, he may get a slight nod of approval from The Late Show.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Keep checking Last Night On for more from The Late Show and the rest of late night television.