Stephen Colbert Reacts to Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard’s Cabinet Appointments: This Wasn’t the ‘Outrageous, Stupefying Story That I Thought I’d Be Leading’ With Tonight

As someone who has been following politics for what seems like an eternity, I must say that the current state of affairs is nothing short of mind-boggling. I remember thinking, “Surely, this man will not be elected,” when Donald Trump first announced his candidacy. And now, here we are, with a Cabinet selection that resembles the cast of a low-budget sci-fi movie more than it does the leaders of our great nation.


On the most recent episode of “The Late Show” hosted by Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night, he predominantly discussed the selections made by President-elect Donald Trump for his Cabinet, such as Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida for the position of attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence.

Approximately eight years ago, Trump confidently walked down the Capitol steps, placed his hand on a Bible, falsely assured the chief justice about protecting the Constitution, and then delivered an exceptionally accurate prediction about the impending American turmoil. And during that time, I’ve been earnestly expressing, “Let’s not jump ahead; let’s handle each day individually. Perhaps, perhaps defying all reason and past experiences, it might be different this time.” Well, I was correct. Unfortunately, things have already turned out to be much worse than we initially thought.

Colbert highlighted that Trump declared on Wednesday via Truth Social his intention to appoint Gaetz as U.S. attorney general. The Late Show host remarked, “During the election, I thought if Trump won, he would perform actions beyond my wildest fears. It turns out, I don’t have a very active imagination.” He continued, “I can’t even feign surprise. And there’s not enough Botox to hide how taken aback I am. All of it has been used up by Matt Gaetz. This is just a small taste of how disturbing this notion is.

He continued, “Matt Gaetz, nominated for the top law enforcement office of the United States, is currently under investigation by a House Ethics panel that issued a subpoena for him in a sex and drug probe. Which really makes you wonder, did he bring enough drugs to share? ‘Cause I could really use them about now.”

Later on, Colbert informed his viewers that things would get even worse, since Trump chose former Representative Tulsi Gabbard as his pick for the Director of National Intelligence.

Trump assigned another crucial role to Tulsi Gabbard, a MAGA supporter and an individual Colbert humorously referred to as both ‘Tulsi Gabbard’ and ‘Cruella de Vil’s Idiot’,” Colbert remarked. He further explained that when he recalls Gabbard, the term ‘intelligence’ does not readily pop into his mind – neither as the first nor second choice.

As a movie critic, I wasn’t expecting the twist in tonight’s political blockbuster – Gaetz and Gabbard’s potential cabinet nominations weren’t the jaw-dropping plot points I anticipated. However, the surprise didn’t stop there; Donald Trump considered Fox News host Pete Hegseth for the role of secretary of defense. Now, Hegseth has two unique qualifications for this position: he’s a TV personality and… well, let’s just say he’s one intriguing character!

As a cinephile movie critic, I’d say: “Stephen Colbert aptly dubbed Trump’s cabinet picks as reminiscent of the motley crew found in the Star Wars Cantina – an intriguing blend of characters with questionable backgrounds and allegiances.

As his speech drew to a close, the late-night presenter brought up the Senate Republicans’ choice of Sen. John Thune from South Dakota as their new majority leader.

Colbert stated, “I’ll explain why this matters to you. The nominees I previously mentioned usually undergo a Senate confirmation process, where both parties can question them, present evidence, and call witnesses. They must defend their appointments and demonstrate how it benefits America. However, Trump has requested, with Thune’s backing, to adjourn the Senate so this doesn’t happen, allowing him to simply wave his wand and bestow these positions without any scrutiny.

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2024-11-14 09:17