Stephen Colbert celebrates Jack Smith filing that claims Trump 'resorted to crimes' to subvert 2020 result
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Stephen Colbert had a field day with a surprising 165-page legal filing from special counsel Jack Smith, which argues that former President Donald Trump “resorted to crimes” in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
On 'The Late Show,' Colbert quipped, “That’s pretty damning language, I gotta say, but kinda weird word choice to say Trump ‘resorted to crimes.’ That’s like saying with nowhere else to turn, the bear resorted to pooping in the woods; it’s just what they do.”
He added, “And just a note, ‘resorted to crimes’ should not be confused with crime resort, another name for Mar-a-Lago.”
Stephen Colbert highlights key evidence in Trump case
The legal brief, unsealed by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, presents new evidence in the federal election case against Trump, coming about three months after the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. Colbert pointed out that Smith emphasized that Trump “did all of this as a candidate, someone seeking office, not an office holder.”
In a light-hearted moment, Colbert noted how Trump entered his pre-Capitol riot rally to songs like “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People, humorously stating, “Yes, he wasn’t there as president; he was there as a — young man.”
Colbert then delved deeper into the filing, emphasizing that it contained substantial evidence of Trump’s awareness of his electoral defeat and his subsequent promotion of false voter fraud claims.
He remarked on the absurdity of the language, drawing a parallel to a bear's natural behavior, and joked that the filing contained redacted names that could be deciphered with context clues, such as identifying Trump’s family members: “For instance on page 156, the defendant is talking to two redacted people, person 14 and person 13, who are also identified as his daughter and son-in-law. Who could that be?”
Colbert mocks Trump's pre-election behavior and legal tactics with sharp wit
Colbert also highlighted Trump’s early attempts to declare victory before the 2020 election, saying, “The man cannot handle losing anything. How did he ever run those pageants?”
He poked fun at the mix-up by Rudy Giuliani, who texted the wrong legislator while trying to dispute election results: “One problem he texted the wrong number. God please please please Lord please let it have gone to one of those spam marketing text.”
The filing characterizes Trump's intimidation tactics aimed at Mike Pence, who refused to go along with the scheme, with Trump expressing frustration: “You’re too honest.” Colbert humorously countered, “What do you expect? Say what you want about Mike Pence, and I have; you can see that this man is a narc from low orbit.”
Colbert reiterated that the filing exists because the Supreme Court said Trump has full immunity for any official actions he undertook as president.
Smith’s filing argues that Trump acted as a candidate, not an officeholder: “He points out that at Trump's pre-Capitol rally on January 6th instead of the music typically played at a presidential speech like ‘Hail to the Chief,’ Trump entered and exited the event to songs such as ‘YMCA.’ Yes, he wasn’t there as president; he was there as a young man.”
As the segment wrapped up, Colbert revealed that Trump was furious over the filing's release, mocking him for a social media outburst: “Defendant Numero Uno rage posted, ‘Election interference and I didn’t rig the 2020 election, they did.’ What a baby! That’s just as bad as Jeffrey Dahmer’s famous defense: ‘No, you ate my neighbor.’”
