CBS's Colbert to Sanders: 'We Have Become Inured to Lies' in the Trump Presidency

January 10th, 2020 2:30 PM

The media meltdown over Iranian terrorist Soleimani’s death continues to spiral into an abyss of delusion. Not unlike his colleagues in the liberal press, CBS host Stephen Colbert spent a portion of his interview with Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday’s The Late Show excoriating President Trump for his executive decision to annihilate Soleimani.

Colbert posed a question to the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate apropos of the military operation and the congressional briefing that took place thereafter and phrased it in such a way that was demeaning to both armed service members and the Trump administration:

 


The administration, as I was talking about earlier in the show, the administration sent representatives both from the military and from the cabinet to have a briefing at the Senate yesterday. Were you at these briefings?... Okay. Mike Lee called these insulting. Did you find them insulting?...

Sanders responded with a typical leftist rebuke of President Trump. Saying; “Well, I'm so used to Trump that I -- you know, and his administration -- that nothing surprises me.”

Colbert, being the creator of the series Our Cartoon President, is hardly an objective source when it comes to fact checking President Trump. Regardless, he proceeded to make his baseless and unfounded barb: “Isn't that part of the danger of this administration that we become inured to the lies?”

Encouraging disrespect and hatred towards a person of the Republican ilk is not atypical behavior of Colbert. In fact, he did just this when he suggested Senator Sanders direct an unkind gesture towards former U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley:

The United States, just to recap, we sent a drone strike at the President's command to kill the head of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani. Nikki Haley has said that the only people mourning Soleimani are Democratic leaders…Anything you'd like to say back with Nikki Haley right now, perhaps with a fragrant gesture?

For those who are jaded from the never-ending fracas in D.C., it may be difficult to keep track of all the Democratic temper-tantrums taking place on a given day. Thus, Colbert injected a question about impeachment, perhaps to serve as a reminder to the audience that it is still ongoing:


Senator, let me ask you this, Senator Feinstein has said that the Articles of Impeachment should be sent over at this point from the House. Do you agree with her or do you, you know, suggest she respectfully put a cork in it?

What a way to speak of a U.S. Senator belonging to your own party, Colbert. Sanders did not miss an opportunity to take a stab at mortal enemy, Senator Mitch McConnell, in his answer:

I am very distressed that Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, wants to have a so-called trial but does not want to bring up witnesses who have ready indicated as with the case with John Bolton that they are prepared to testify…

 

At this point, Colbert’s questions are about as predictable as Sanders' answers.

https://cdn.newsbusters.org/images/Transcript below:

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

1/9/20

11:56:00 PM

 

STEPHEN COLBERT: There's a lot to talk about in the world and in the campaign. I'd like to start off with the recent possibly war with Iran. The United States, just to recap, we sent a drone strike at the President's command to kill head of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani. Nikki Haley has said that the only people mourning Soleimani are Democratic leaders. Have you seen any Democratic leaders mourning Soleimani? Are you mourning Soleimani? Anything you'd like to say back with Nikki Haley right now, perhaps with a fragrant gesture?

BERNIE SANDERS; No, nobody I know is mourning Soleimani...

(...)

COLBERT: The Administration, as I was talking about earlier in the show, the Administration sent representatives both from the Military and from the Cabinet to have a briefing at the Senate yesterday. Were you at these briefings?

SANDERS: Yes.

COLBERT: Ok. Mike Lee called these insulting. Did you find them insulting? How would you characterize these supposedly-

SANDERS: Well, I'm so used to Trump that I-you know- and his Administration that nothing surprises me.

COLBERT: Isn't that part of the danger of this Administration that we become inured to the lies?

SANDERS: ...Mike is maybe old fashioned enough as I am to believe in the Constitution of the United States. I know that is something- that is something that I think Trump has not yet read or understands. But what Mike made public today -- which is true, I was there, in fact, sitting right behind him -- when asked by the representatives of the Military and the C.I.A. if, in fact, Trump decides to assassinate the leadership -- the leader -- of Iran, would he have to come to Congress for authorization? And they could not give a clear answer on that. And here is the point that I know that everybody knows this, the Constitution is extremely clear, it is the Congress of United States that has warmaking powers, not the President. And that is why I have introduced legislation which would prevent spending -- giving Trump one nickel of money to go to war in Iran, and there's another good piece of legislation that, once again, would bring up the War Powers Act to make sure that he could not go to war unless he had the authorization of the Congress.

COLBERT: It has been a long time, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but it has been a long time since congress has exerted that power. How do you think we got here where Trump thinks he can act with such impunity?

(...)

COLBERT: ...some people say this present exchange is over, others say Iran is going to take their time there could be months or years down the line. If you do win, how does a President Sanders respond to Iranian bad action, aggression, the bombing of the oil fields in Saudi Arabia, the sponsoring of terror, Hezbollah, what do you do in response to that?

SANDERS: ...I think what we do is use our diplomatic power and our resources to demand that these people, whether they like it or not, are going to sit in a room and they're going to start working out the differences they have because I think the American people are tired of getting sucked into wars that are a result of their differences.

(...)

COLBERT: Senator, let me ask you this, Senator Feinstein has said that the Articles of Impeachment should be sent over at this point from the House. Do you agree with her or do you, you know, suggest she respectfully put a cork in it?

SANDERS: I am very distressed that Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, wants to have a so-called trial but does not want to bring up witnesses who have ready indicated as with the case with John Bolton that they are prepared to testify. So I would hope that McConnell will allow us to hear from witnesses so we can get a better understanding of what the nature of the charges are against Trump.

COLBERT: Well, are the Democrats united on this? Do you know from what you're hearing from your colleagues, are the Democrats united on this? Because Speaker Pelosi is withholding these in order to get what she believes would be a fairer trial, but, you know, what's Joe Manchin going to do? Feinstein is breaking ranks here.

SANDERS: I think the vast majority of the Democrats who I talked to in the Senate want a fair trial, they want witnesses, and they want the American people and members of the Senate to fully understand the implications of the charges against Trump.