Stephen Colbert: Capitol security video makes riot even worse

Stephen Colbert thought he understood everything that happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6. But never-before-seen security footage shown during former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial led the Late Show host to claim that the riot was actually much worse than he thought.

On Wednesday, House managers continued to lay out their case charging former President Trump with inciting an insurrection. Connections were drawn between President Trump’s tweets and speeches and the violent mob that assaulted the Capitol in hopes of stopping the election certification.

The key moments came in the form of previously unseen security footage from inside the Capitol. It offered a new perspective on how rioters breached the Capitol and moved inside, searching for individuals including Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Stephen Colbert’s monologue last night recapped day two of the impeachment trial. And for the second time, Colbert was forced to admit that the Capitol riot was much worse than he thought.

Like many others watching the video, Colbert was shocked to see how close rioters came to finding Vice President Pence. The security footage also highlighted how Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman saved Senator Mitt Romney. It was a tense moment but one that Colbert couldn’t let pass without taking a jab at Senator Romney by reminding everyone of the Pierre Delecto saga.

Colbert called it a “strange, disturbing day” in our nation’s history after watching the new security footage. He does joke that it was disturbing not only because Republicans were willing to ignore what happened but also because “it’s possible to be grateful to Mike Pence” for not overturning the election.

Stephen Colbert eviscerated Republicans who didn’t pay attention during the impeachment trial

Stephen Colbert’s monologue recapping day one of President Trump’s impeachment trial had some anger and annoyance behind it. Colbert called out Republican Senators by name, saying those who refused to pay attention to riot footage were “cowards.”

Last night on The Late Show, Colbert kicked things up a notch in a scathing rebuke of GOP Senators. He cites reports that Republican Senators were not listening or reading books on other topics while House managers laid out the evidence against former President Trump. Colbert thinks he knows what they may have been reading:

"Yes, other, more interesting topics like: how does history tend to remember cowardly, fascist enabling, worthless pieces of garbage?"

This time it is Senator Josh Hawley who Stephen Colbert calls out by name. Colbert makes a point to once again blame Sen. Hawley for his role in helping to incite the mob that eventually overran the Capitol.

Colbert concludes by acknowledging that most Republicans won’t hold former President Donald Trump accountable for the Capitol riot. But that doesn’t stop him from stating the importance of the moment and how essential it is that the country faces the truth of what happened in hopes of preventing it from ever happening again.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.