Stephen Colbert on Trump’s nobody comment and why you can’t trust the CDC

Stephen Colbert called out President Donald Trump for what the Late Show host says is a disregard for human life

On Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert’s monologue attacked President Donald Trump for his latest controversial comments before putting the spotlight on the Centers for Disease Control. It all amounted to more proof that the Trump administration has botched the pandemic response at a historic level, says Colbert.

It was a little over a month ago that Colbert questioned why the United States has yet to develop a national strategy for combating COVID-19. In that time, little has changed other than the number of cases and the death toll from the novel coronavirus.

President Trump is focused on his reelection campaign and continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic. The latest example came when he stated that COVID-19 affected “virtually nobody” despite the country topping 200,000 deaths.

Then it was discovered that the CDC had reversed course on COVID-19 guidance published to its website. Information on how the virus is airborne was removed in what many saw as a clear attempt to align CDC’s messaging with that of Trump’s White House.

Stephen Colbert called this a disregard for human life during his Late Show monologue. He explained how President Trump’s influence has made the CDC untrustworthy during a pandemic.

Stephen Colbert continues to see new lows from President Trump

There has been a repeating pattern in how late-night comedians like Stephen Colbert cover the pandemic and specifically President Trump’s response. There is a comment, action, or lack of action from the president that shocks, leading to a condemnation of President Trump’s leadership. And when Colbert and others think things can’t get any worse, a new comment, action, or lack of action occurs.

Colbert rips into the CDC for its apparent decision to go along with the Trump administration’s framing of COVID-19. Time and time again, the Late Show host has wondered why a public health crisis has been politicized and the answer seems to connect back to the president and his grip over the federal government and Republican Party.

Colbert may have been holding out hope that the severity of the pandemic would eventually click with President Trump. But as Bob Woodward’s tapes revealed, the White House was always aware of the risks but disregarded them in favor of playing politics. It’s another new low in Colbert’s eyes and one that is a shock but not a surprise.

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