Stephen Colbert links JD Vance’s ‘Haitia’ gaffe to Trump’s ‘dementia’ in mocking commentary
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Stephen Colbert recently took aim at JD Vance, mocking the vice presidential candidate for a gaffe typically associated with his running mate, Donald Trump.
Trump and Vance have been perpetuating unfounded claims that Haitian immigrants are stealing and consuming pets in Springfield, Ohio, even after local officials have debunked these rumors repeatedly.
Stephen Colbert mocks JD Vance's fictional geography as misinformation fuels public panic
During a rally in Michigan, JD Vance incorrectly referred to the influx of migrants as coming from “20,000 migrants primarily from Haitia,” a fictitious country.
Colbert quipped, “That’s right, Haitians come from Haitia, much in the same way the lesbians come from Lesbia, and Donald Trump comes from Dementia.”
The segment highlighted Vance’s pattern of spreading falsehoods about the Haitian community, which have incited alarming reactions, including bomb threats, school evacuations, and event cancellations.
These reactions occurred even after officials, including Ohio’s governor, rejected Vance’s claims. Colbert pointed out the irony of the situation, noting that the women who initially propagated these rumors on Facebook admitted they had no evidence to support their statements.
“Is it possible that Braden's space-themed 10th birthday party wasn't out of this world?” Colbert quipped, underscoring the absurdity of the misinformation circulating online.
Stephen Colbert slams JD Vance’s dangerous misinformation amid real-world fallout
Stephen Colbert highlighted how JD Vance’s inflammatory rhetoric has led to real-world consequences, including bomb threats and school evacuations. He pointed out that the rumors originated from a Facebook post by a local woman, who later admitted, “they didn't have any proof.”
Colbert sarcastically remarked, “What an unsubstantiated claim on Facebook. What else are they lying about out there?”
Amid rising violence against immigrants, Vance appears to shift his narrative rather than retract his false claims.
On CNN, Vance controversially claimed that "Haitians are eating dogs and cats," leading Colbert to question the validity of such a baseless assertion. In his defense, Vance made a peculiar admission about fabricating stories to attract media attention, stating, "If I have to create stories to get the American media to pay attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'll do."
In a sharp critique of Vance's tactics, Colbert stated, “When politicians choose to lie to grab headlines, they’re not just misinforming the public—they’re putting lives at risk.”
Colbert seized on this admission, humorously drawing a parallel to a separate baseless rumor about Vance—that he had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a couch. “I want to repeat, he did not have sex with a couch because I am now hearing that on that night he could not perform,” Colbert joked, adding, “Truly, he was The Lazy Boy.”
