Stephen Colbert blasts Jan. 6 comparisons in defense of detained Late Show staffers

Stephen Colbert offered his first public response to news that several Late Show staffers, including Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, were detained by Capitol police last week.

According to reports, Triumph (AKA Robert Smigel) and a production team from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert were detained in an office building across from the Capitol. The group was filming in the offices without an escort when the premises was closed to the public.

CBS later clarified that the Late Show production had permission to film at the offices and had conducted interviews earlier in the day. Monday night allowed host Stephen Colbert to provide further details.

But while Colbert happily laughed off the incident and jokingly blamed Conan O’Brien, he was less thrilled with outlets calling it an “insurrection.” He explained why any comparison to January 6 is an insult to the law enforcement agents at the Capitol that day.

Stephen Colbert warns against distractions from the January 6 hearings

Stephen Colbert went on to call the Late Show “scandal” nothing more than “puppetry in the first degree.” It’s a far cry from the mayhem of January 6 that intended to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

So why would any media outlet call Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at a congressional office building an “Insurrection”? According to Colbert, it’s all to distract the public from the actual January 6 hearings.

Colbert went further, calling out anyone who would compare a dog puppet making jokes to the violence of January 6, saying it’s:

"[A] shameful and grotesque insult to the memory of everyone who died, and obscenely trivializes the service and the courage the Capitol police showed on that terrible day."

The Late Show closed his thoughts with another shot at former President Donald Trump. Colbert reflected that Capitol police must remain on high alert all the time thanks to “Putin’s puppet.”

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