Comedy Central’s Michael Kosta used his second day of temp hosting The Daily Show to react to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Wednesday decision to step down as the GOP Senate leader by accusing him of being responsible for school shootings.
Kosta made the remarks after playing a clip of McConnell on the Senate floor, claiming that he felt it was time to move on to his life’s next chapter, “Next chapter? I don't think there's that much left in the book, my friend. I think you're looking at the acknowledgements page right now. But yes, this is the end of Mitch's reign in the Senate. And in honor of all that he has done to stop mass shootings, there will be a 21-gun salute at an elementary school later this month.”
While the “joke” is nominally about McConnell, it is really about all Second Amendment defenders. If you believe the Constitution means what it says and that gun control laws would only affect law-abiding citizens and not criminals, then The Daily Show thinks you also do not care about murdered children.
The Daily Show was not the only late night show in a hurry to kick McConnell out the door. Over at CBS and The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert played another clip of McConnell recalling President Ronald Reagan mistaking him for Mitch O’Donnell, “Close enough, I thought.”
“Well, that's very big of you, Bitch O’Dumb Nuts,” Colbert replied as if that were clever.
Later on NBC’s Late Night, Meyers kicked off his monologue by reporting that “thanks to the woke left, another Confederate statue has been taken down. That's right, Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell announced today that he will step down from his leadership position in November, and then in December he'll be stepping down from his position as Krampus.”
The claim is that McConnell is racist, but just as opposing gun control doesn’t make you responsible for school shootings, opposing Democrats’ so-called “voting rights” bills or whatever else Meyers has in mind doesn’t make you a Confederate.
Here is a transcript for the February 28-taped shows:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
2/28/2024
11:15 PM ET
MICHAEL KOSTA: Next chapter? I don't think there's that much left in the book, my friend. I think you're looking at the acknowledgements page right now. But yes, this is the end of Mitch's reign in the Senate. And in honor of all that he has done to stop mass shootings, there will be a 21-gun salute at an elementary school later this month.
***
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2/28/2024
11:37 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: McConnell made his announcement on the Senate floor and then took a fun shamble down Memory Lane.
MITCH MCCONNELL: My career in the United States Senate began amidst the Reagan Revolution. The truth is when I got here I was just happy if anybody remembered my name. President Reagan called me Mitch O'Donnell. Close enough, I thought.
COLBERT: Well, that's very big of you, Bitch O’ Dumb Nuts. That's not very nice. That’s not good.
***
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
2/29/2024
12:37 AM ET
SETH MEYERS: Well, thanks to the woke left, another Confederate statue has been taken down. That's right Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell announced today that he will step down from his leadership position in November and then in December he'll be stepping down from his position as Krampus.
