On Wednesday’s edition of The Late Show, CBS’s Stephen Colbert reacted to the incident in Minneapolis where an ICE agent shot a woman who appeared to drive her car at him by claiming that it was the agent who was wrong and that Second Amendment supporters are being hypocrites.
Colbert dropped his usual cold open for a solemn address to the camera: “Hi, everybody, we have a comedy show for you tonight, and normally we start these shows with a cold open, but sometimes we don't do that, especially if there's been a shocking tragedy and there's been another. This morning in Minneapolis a 37-year-old woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in front of her neighbors. Homeland Security Secretary Noem claimed the slain woman committed an act of domestic terrorism and says the agent acted in self-defense. The mayor of Minneapolis watched the video tape of the killing and said that claim is, and I quote, ‘bull[bleep].’ I think Governor Walz expressed it well.”
In a clip, Walz alleged, “What we’re seeing is the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines, and conflict… To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you've done enough.”
Much later, Colbert asked MS NOW’s Chris Hayes to describe what happened. After declaring we do not know whether the woman was told to leave or get out of her car, he claimed, “An ICE agent approached the car, she appears on both angles of the video to be first backing up and then trying to, basically, drive her car away from the armed men who are coming to accost her.”
Hayes did manage to mention that there was an agent in front of the car but tried to downplay its significance, "One of the ICE agents has positioned himself right at the front right corner of the car. He proceeds to fire four shots, three or four shots from extremely close range into the driver's side of the car. The first shot from head on, and the next three with him in a 90-degree angle, you can see it in the freeze frame. The gun is like this and the open window is like this, so he is out of the way of the car."
Later, Colbert sensed hypocrisy was afoot, “the power of the federal government instilling fear in the people, fear of violence in the people. I'm in no way condoning this, but isn't protecting ourselves against that the argument the Second Amendment people have made for so many years about why we are supposed to have guns?”
As Hayes agreed, Colbert continued, “I'm not telling anybody to use violence against the government, but that seems to be an odd conflict between those who might support the president and his support of the Second Amendment and the fact that this is exactly what they described in their fantasies and why the Supreme Court said that personal protection is what is granted by the Second Amendment.”
No, using law enforcement using guns in response to the belief someone is driving an SUV at them is not why the Second Amendment exists.
Here is a transcript for the January 7 show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
1/7/2026
11:35 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: Hi, everybody, we have a comedy show for you tonight, and normally we start these shows with a cold open, but sometimes we don't do that, especially if there's been a shocking tragedy and there's been another. This morning in Minneapolis a 37-year-old woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in front of her neighbors. Homeland Security Secretary Noem claimed the slain woman committed an act of domestic terrorism and says the agent acted in self-defense. The mayor of Minneapolis watched the video tape of the killing and said that claim is, and I quote, “bull[bleep].” I think Governor Walz expressed it well.
TIM WALZ: What we’re seeing is the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines, and conflict. [jump cut] Donald Trump and his administration may not care that much about Minnesota, that’s been pretty evident, but we love this state. We won't let them tear us apart, we’ll not turn against each other [jump cut] to Americans, I ask you this, please stand with Minneapolis. [jump cut] From here on either a very simple message. We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you've done enough.
…
CHRIS HAYES: An ICE agent approached the car, she appears on both angles of the video to be first backing up and then trying to, basically, drive her car away from the armed men who are coming to accost her.
One of the ICE agents has positioned himself right at the front right corner of the car. He proceeds to fire four shots, three or four shots from extremely close range into the driver's side of the car. The first shot from head on, and the next three with him in a 90-degree angle, you can see it in the freeze frame. The gun is like this and the open window is like this, so he is out of the way of the car.
She loses consciousness and the car heads into a lamppost where it hits. Reports indicate that she was without medical attention for between 10-15 minutes. There's reporting on the scene that indicates a doctor attempted to give CPR and was stopped. Her partner was in the car as was her dog and stuffed into the front seat were a number of stuffed animals that belong to her four-year-old daughter who has now lost her mother.
…
COLBERT: That federal government, the power of the federal government instilling fear in the people, fear of violence in the people. I'm in no way condoning this, but isn't protecting ourselves against that the argument the Second Amendment people have made for so many years about why we are supposed to have guns?
HAYES: Yes.
COLBERT: I'm not telling anybody to use violence against the government, but that seems to be an odd conflict between those who might support the president and his support of the Second Amendment and the fact that this is exactly what they described in their fantasies and why the Supreme Court said that personal protection—
HAYES: Yes.
COLBERT: —is what is granted by the Second Amendment.
