10 Cringiest Moments Of Colbert’s Career As A Dem Mouthpiece

Stephen Colbert’s career is effectively over. CBS canceled both Colbert and The Late Show with an end date in May 2026. There will be no new host, which is fine because the tradition of a bit of live humor before bedtime died long ago at CBS.

When he hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, Colbert was still capable of humor. Back then, viewers who didn’t agree with him were willing to stay up late and watch anyway, because he was funny.   

But when he took over the CBS Late Show in 2015, Colbert left comedy behind and became a full-time propagandist, more often offending people who didn’t share his political views.

Colbert will be 62 when the show ends, but he won’t need to put in for early Social Security. He reportedly earns $15 million annually. The only explanation for past contract extensions after Colbert proved himself no longer funny is that CBS didn’t necessarily want comedy. It wanted someone willing to spread propaganda, and Colbert did that very well. Here is a look back at 10 times Stephen Colbert used The Late Show to brainwash viewers and peddle leftist talking points.

1. The Jab Jive   

When Covid arrived on President Donald Trump’s watch, Colbert was vehemently opposed to the vaccine whose creation Trump was expediting. He had to be. It was the middle of a presidential campaign, and Trump was coming up with solutions. Colbert could not let Trump look good for taking action, so he created a “comedy” skit about “Big Pharma” profiting off a national crisis.

But after former President Joe “Autopen” Biden took office and started pushing the vaccine, Colbert produced perhaps the worst skit of his entire career, dancers dressed as happy Covid shots, with needles bouncing on their heads, urging everyone to get the shot. While this was the most prominent version, Colbert’s show produced numerous reminders urging the public to submit to the shot, often naming the pharmaceutical companies in flattering tones in the songs. When Biden mandated that people get the shot or lose their jobs, Colbert responded: “And I say, hear, hear! Vaccine mandates have a proud, patriotic history in this country.” Total flip-flop, total propaganda.

2. Campaigning For Biden

In 2019, Colbert did his part to help then-candidate Joe Biden on the campaign trail, failing to ask serious questions. Instead, he helped Biden downplay his many verbal gaffes.

3. Campaigning for Kamala

In 2024, Colbert gave a softball interview to Kamala Harris about a month before the presidential election. He asked a decent question: If she were elected, compared to Biden, “What would the major changes be, and what would stay the same?” Harris gave a long, fluffy non-answer. Colbert quickly pivoted to discussing the limits of a vice president’s power instead of pressing her for a specific answer to what should have been a simple question.

4. Marketing Mary Jane

Colbert is often seen drinking or promoting alcohol on his show. Here he mentions (hopefully joking) getting drunk because of Trump’s election. This 2018 segment, used by CBS to promote the show, celebrates marijuana use, portraying anyone who opposes its legalization as a buffoon. Colbert routinely used his reach and authority to move a political agenda.   

5. Lying Legal ‘Expert’

Angry Colbert spouted off about the lawfare aimed at Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, declaring, “In all seven of his cases, no one — no one! — doubts that he did these things!” In fact, most thinking people did doubt the claims that brought in waves of lawfare and recognized that Trump was being unfairly attacked in the courts to take him out of the race for president. Colbert was on the take-down team. If he cared about America, he would have been honest, using his voice to express concern over the misuse of the justice system.  

6. Joy Sapper

After the majority of the country voted Trump back into office, Colbert opened his show with a somber tone. “We’re built for rough roads,” he moaned. By this point, he likely knew he was only speaking to like-minded viewers. The 2024 election proved that most of the country is not watching. This would have been a great moment for Colbert to tuck away his huge ego and be funny for his remaining audience.

7. Pushing Democrat Messaging

In this segment, Colbert railed against the Big Beautiful Bill that recently passed, spreading the lie that people would starve or die if the bill passed. This is a common tactic on The Late Show. He brazenly distorts the issues and tries to use humor to make his propaganda persuasive. But Colbert conveniently leaves out details like the fact that the BBB requires able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work part time instead of sitting around watching TV.

8. Russia Hoax Repeater

In 2017, Colbert used his monologue, where late-night hosts typically do stand-up comedy, to advance the Russia collusion hoax. He spoon-fed viewers propaganda, reading directly from The New York Times, while his fans waited for him to make with some jokes.

9. Election Rigging Denier   

Days after the messy 2020 election, Colbert blathered on for eight minutes about Trump questioning anomalies. First, he looked like he might cry, then transitioned to anger. Then he spewed a load of hate at Trump, and anyone who continues to support him, and urged Republicans to speak against Trump and to accept the results of the election.  

10. Attention Whore

In perhaps one of his most honest moments, Colbert rejoiced in 2017 when Trump mentioned his name. “I’ve been trying for a year to get you to say my name!” Because no publicity is bad publicity. Secretly, all frustrated drama kids want is to be noticed by someone important. There is not a Trump-hater out there who wouldn’t love to have Trump acknowledge him.   

Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.