Colbert triggers ‘launch codes’ after Don-Putin joke
The Late Show host receives both criticism, praise for blasting US President
Los Angeles, May 4: Popular TV host Stephen Colbert has said he has no regrets about a monologue that included a crude sexual reference on the relationship between the presidents of the United States and Russia and has since prompted calls to fire him and boycott Late Show advertisers.
“He, I believe, can take care of himself,” Mr olbert said at a Wednesday taping of his CBS late-night show. “I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So, it’s a fair fight.” In his Monday monologue, Mr Colbert said: “Mr Trump, your presidency, I love your presidency. I call it “Disgrace the Nation.” He also made a sexual reference to the male anatomy, saying of Donald Trump: “The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c — holster.”
That raised the hackles of conservatives and Mr Trump’s supporters, who accused Mr Colbert of obscenity and making a homophobic remark that would have gotten rightwing pundits canned.
Mr Colbert joked about the backlash in the opening moments of the Wednesday show. According to a CBS transcript mentioned in The Washington Post, the comedian told the audience: “Welcome to ‘The Late Show.’ I’m your host, Stephen Colbert. Still? I am still the host? I’m still the host!!” Mr Colbert said he was upset at Mr Trump for insulting a friend, Face the Nation host John Dickerson.
Mr Trump referred to that show as Deface the Nation and later walked out on Mr Dickerson during a weekend interview.
Mr Colbert said he didn’t regret making “a few choice insults” but acknowledged he may have gone a bit too far and also indirectly addressed the homophobic accusation.
“So while I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be,” he concluded.
“I’m not going to repeat the phrase, but I just want to say for the record, life is short, and anyone who expresses their love for another person, in their own way, is to me, an American hero. I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the President and I can agree on that. Nothing else. But, that.”