Stephen Colbert answered critics who took issue with an anti-Trump monologue he gave earlier this week.
The late-night host defended his right to make jokes about President Donald Trump, which caught much attention on Monday night.
The criticism that followed was twofold. Some took issue with Colbert’s use of the homophobic pejorative, “c–k holster,” which the comedian used to describe Trump’s affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Others touted the #FireColbert hashtag — an effort to boycott Colbert’s “The Late Show,” which airs on CBS.
According to an advance copy of Colbert’s Wednesday night script obtained by BuzzFeed News, Colbert stands by the tone of his monologue, but admits he could have chosen better words.
Read a portion of the script below:
“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.”
Watch the full original monologue from Monday below:
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