Stephen Colbert did something we haven’t seen in quite some time in response to the Trump administration’s attack on free speech. Here’s how Colbert introduced the revival of his old character from The Colbert Report:
COLBERT: Welcome back to the Late Show. We still on the air?
Fantastic. Apparently, Brendan Carr has not seen tonight’s episode yet.
Ladies and gentlemen, we live in unsettling times with rising autocracy targeting America’s most vulnerable — talk show hosts.
But there is a way for us folks on TV to keep ourselves safe — I assume I wouldn’t know, but my network is trying to make sure they do not run afoul of Brendan Carr’s FCC.
As part of the settlement with Donald Trump this summer, CBS recently hired a conservative policy veteran to be their ombudsman, who will keep tabs on CBS’s ombudding.
And apparently having a conservative overseeing your programming is a way to stay on the air, and I would love to be able to finish out the last season of my show.
So just to be safe, the Late Show has appointed our own ombudsman.
He is someone that I’ve known for years. He’s a dear friend with strong conservative credentials.
Please welcome my identical cousin and the former host of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert.
