If the Democratic National Committee ever starts an official talk show, and Stephen Colbert wants some additional work, he would be a perfect choice. The Late Night host on Wednesday interviewed South Carolina senatorial candidate Jaime Harrison and offered not a single joke during the segment. Instead, he praised the Democrat for his promotion of “hope” and sneered that incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham has no “honor.”
After Harrison plugged his website, Colbert cheered, “Nicely slid in there, future senator.” The former comedian turned activist offered this embarrassing softball: “Now you say that… you want to talk to people about hope, and you want to show people there is hope. Well, you know, as well as I, the great motto of the great state of South Carolina, ‘Dum spiro spero. While I breathe, I hope.’ What does that mean to you personally, and what do you think it has to do now with what's going on with the American people?”
Kind of a bit different from Colbert the night before agreeing that Donald Trump’s actual “plan” is to kill “millions” with COVID. Or when the host interviewed Chris Christie in August and used the contentious interview to threaten the Republican into dropping Trump.
Instead, the host questioned the honor of Graham:
I want to get back to Lindsey for just one second, and that is he said multiple times that if somebody was nominated for the Supreme Court in the final year of Donald Trump's first term, he wouldn't be in favor of confirming that person. And he's thrown up a lot of gorilla dust to try to, you know, make people forget that he said that. But he broke a promise to the American people. He said-- he gave his word. What do you think that means to the people of South Carolina for someone to not have enough honor to keep a word that is on tape?
Colbert added this overt call to defeat Graham and elect a Democrat: “Well, you can help him keep his word and limit his term on Tuesday.” Don’t look to the Late Show for comedy anymore. It’s all DNC TV all the time.
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A partial transcript of the questions is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Late Show With Stephen Colbert
10/28/2020
STEPHEN COLBERT: My first guest tonight is in one of the most-watched Senate races of the year running against Lindsey Graham in my home state of South Carolina. Please welcome to the late show Jaime Harrison! Thanks so much for being here.
JAIME HARRISON: Hey Stephen!
…
COLBERT: I have followed your run against Lindsey since before you were running against Lindy, because the word was you were going to run against Lindsey. And I don't think I'm the only one who went, "That's great. It's a bit of a long shot." Congratulations, already, for how you've proven the possibility of this. Now you just have to push over the line, run through the tape. Why do you think this is different? Why do you think now it's a different South Carolina or it's the same South Carolina, but it's a different situation for someone running against Graham?
…
COLBERT: And, you know, and that's what this campaign is all about. That's why we get volunteers coming out of woodwork. If folks want to volunteer, go to jaimeharrison.com. We'd love to have you as we push through.
…
COLBERT: Nicely slid in there, future senator. Now you say that, you know, you want to talk to people about hope, and you want to show people there is hope. Well, you know, as well as I, the great motto of the great state of South Carolina, “Dum spiro spero.” “While I breathe, I hope.” What does that mean to you personally, and what do you think it has to do now with what's going on with the American people?
…
COLBERT: I want to get back to Lindsey for just one second, and that is he said multiple times that if somebody was nominated for the Supreme Court in the final year of Donald Trump's first term, he wouldn't be in favor of confirming that person. And he's thrown up a lot of gorilla dust to try to, you know, make people forget that he said that. But he broke a promise to the American people. He said-- he gave his word. What do you think that means to the people of South Carolina for someone to not have enough honor to keep a word that is on tape?
…
COLBERT: Well, you can help him keep his word and limit his term on Tuesday.
HARRISON: Exactly.
COLBERT: now, you called your campaign a "Movement for a new south." I love the south. What do you-- what do you think the future of the south is?
…
