Stephen Colbert pleasantly surprised to learn more about Trump's election scheme

Stephen Colbert thought he knew everything there was to know about Donald Trump's alleged criminal activity around the 2020 election. However, new information released by Special Counsel Jack Smith left the Late Show host pleasantly surprised.

Trump was charged with a host of crimes related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and enter a slate of fake electors. But when Vice President Mike Pence didn't go along with the plan and every court case was thrown out, Trump's scheme fell apart.

However, the ex-president received good news in July 2024. The Supreme Court ruled that a president essentially had immunity if they acted in their official capacity. Earlier this week, Jack Smith attempted to counter that ruling by releasing more details about Trump's actions around the election and framing the Republican as an office-seeker, not holder.

While the redacted file was somewhat of a surprise, it was no surprise to see Stephen Colbert's monologue lead with the story on Thursday night. "Smells like consequences," Colbert said as he comically sniffed the document on air.

Colbert called the document a "novelization of the horror movie we all lived through." The Late Show host made a special point to highlight Smith's claims that Trump knew he lost the 2020 election but still "knowingly pushed false claims of voter fraud" and "resorted to crimes."

"Just a note," Colbert added, "'resorted to crimes' should not be confused with 'crime resort,' another name for Mar-a-Lago."

As his monologue continued to break down Jack Smith's filing, Colbert became amused at the names and information redacted. The comedian playfully acted stumped at the identities of two people listed only as Trump's "daughter" and "son-in-law."

Colbert also noted that many redacted sections of the document can be found in tweets still available online. The comedian couldn't believe that Rudy Giuliani's name was withheld from the filing but could be seen in one of Donald Trump's tweets.

The Late Show host applauded Smith for following the law -- something Smith argues Trump did not do. Colbert clearly ended the segment pleasantly surprised by what he'd learn and, in his mind, how effectively Smith made his case.