Stephen Colbert’s name recently popped up in a statement from a lawyer representing one of the Proud Boys charged with seditious conspiracy for the Jan. 6 insurrection. So the Late Show host clearly felt he had no choice but to share his response with viewers Wednesday night.
“Some of the folks being featured in the videos in these hearings are not happy about all the publicity,” Colbert said on the eve of yet another Jan. 6 Committee hearing on Thursday. Specifically, he was referring to Proud Boys leader “and worst-case scenario David Cross” Joseph Biggs, who faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted in his case.
“By the time he gets out, this Proud Boy is going to be a proud member of the AARP,” the host joked.
But what really caught his eye was the statement from Biggs’ attorney that reads, in part, “In the view of the increased and unquestionable spectacular 24/7 negative press and media coverage about the fraternity known as the Proud Boys, from Morning Joe to Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, and coupled with this week’s televised hearings of the House Select Committee on January 6, all of which continue to saturate the jury pool of media-obsessive Washington, D.C.”
“You know, ladies and gentleman, I do a lot of jokes about these violent fascists,” Colbert said in response, pretending to well up with tears. “But to hear that even one of them noticed? I feel so seen! You hate me, you really hate me!”
As for the attempt to move Biggs’ trial to a place where the Proud Boys have a “better reputation,” Colbert suggested “1930s Berlin.”
Ultimately, he decided to speak directly to the jury pool that he has supposedly corrupted. “While this is a very high-profile case, in our justice system the accused is innocent until proven guilty. So I want everyone in the potential jury pool to hear me when I say,” Colbert intoned calmly, before turning to another camera to exclaim, “You are going to jail, you neo-numbnut!”
“And if you don’t like it, you can come and get me!” he added. “My name is Joe Scarborough and I love coffee!”
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