The FCC, CBS, Paramount and the Trump administration can suck it — or at least that was the sentiment on Wednesday night’s episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
As usual, host Colbert tackled the day’s news in his opening monologue — but things took a turn into the unusual when Colbert responded to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement Tuesday that he’s canceling $500 million in funding for vaccine development.
“Bad news for fans of living,” Colbert began before explaining Kennedy’s announcement to his audience.
“Now, we have 10 more months of this show, and I want to give a measured, nonpartisan response here: Fuck you, you roid-addled nepo carnie!” Colbert said while flipping the bird on network TV.
After the audience erupted with applause, Colbert continued by explaining that Kennedy’s cuts were specifically aimed at 22 projects that are using mRNA technology to develop vaccines for respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. Infectious disease experts credit mRNA for slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reports. They say that mRNA is safe and failing to use the tech could result in difficulty quelling future pandemics.
