During his CBS "Late Show" monologue, Stephen Colbert addressed comments he made that some perceived as homophobic in a takedown bit Monday of Donald Trump's presidency.
Colbert dedicated Monday's entire monologue to bashing Trump for insulting friend and CBS colleague John Dickerson during a "Face The Nation" interview.
Here is Colbert's complete response to the controversy:
Welcome to “The Late Show.” I'm your host, Stephen Colbert.
Still? I am still the host?
I'm still the host!!
Now, if you saw my monologue Monday, you know that I was a little upset at Donald Trump for insulting a friend of mine. So at the end of that monologue I had a few choice insults for the president in return. I don't regret that. He, I believe, can take care of himself. I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So, it's a fair fight.
So while I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be. 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.
Here are the original comments that sparked the backlash:
"Donald Trump, John Dickerson is a fair-minded journalist and one of the most competent people who will ever walk into your office, and you treat him like that? Now, John Dickerson has way too much dignity to trade insults with a president of the United States to his face, but I, sir, am no John Dickerson."
"When you insult one member of the CBS family, you insult us all. Mr. President, I love your presidency. I call it 'Disgrace The Nation.' You're not the POTUS, you're the 'gloat-us.' You're the glutton with the button. You're a regular 'Gorge Washington.' You're the 'presi-dunce,' but you're turning into a real 'prick-tator.'"
"Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine. You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign-language gorilla that got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--k holster."
Stephen Colbert Calls Trump's Mouth 'Vladimir Putin’s C--k Holster' in Merciless Monologue (Video)
View StoryBacklash over the "c-ck holster" remark was swift, and #FireColbert began trending quickly on social media. While the comedian said he would do the monologue all over again, he did say that he would "change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be."
"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," Colbert said. "And I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the president and I can agree on that... Nothing else, but that."
