Following some chaotic moments during Stephen Colbert’s chat with Texas Democratic candidate James Talarico, Colbert took to his show on Wednesday to criticize President Donald Trump, propose theories about the Epstein files, and extend an invitation to Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who is campaigning for the Democratic Party, asserting that his show is not subject to censorship.
The late-night host on CBS expressed outrage over the network’s choice to issue a warning about airing an interview with Talarico, mistakenly claiming it amounted to censorship. With Talarico’s primary coming up on March 3, when Colbert aimed to use CBS’s platform for Democratic support, the network reminded him of Federal Communications Commission regulations which obligate it to provide equal platform time to Talarico’s opponents before the election.
Yet, on Wednesday, any perceived censorship was absent as Colbert welcomed Ossoff to his show. Interestingly, Ossoff is also in the running for reelection come November, but since Georgia’s primary isn’t until May 19—90 days away—his candidacy doesn’t trigger the same equal treatment rules. Thus, CBS didn’t raise any issues about Colbert providing Ossoff a platform for his campaign.
Colbert seemed genuinely happy to host a progressive voice, letting Ossoff delve into various topics, including the Epstein files, the approaching 2026 midterm elections, and criticisms aimed at the Republican Party along with Trump.
In the initial segment, Colbert set the stage for Ossoff to explain how he had “fought corruption” overseas before being elected to the Senate in 2020. Ossoff insignificantly asserted that Trump is as corrupt as those he encountered abroad.
“Looking at President Donald Trump’s America, we are increasingly reminded of that place and that society. It should chill us all,” Ossoff stated.
“Donald Trump himself represents a deeper issue in our society,” the senator remarked. “So, how did a demagogue who promised destruction get elected president twice with false promises? Because the system is rigged. He’s not fixing it; he’s rigging it for his gain. Especially after the Citizens United ruling, which was detrimental.”
Ossoff continued by labeling the Republican Party as the “Epstein class,” further criticizing Trump, suggesting he runs with Epstein’s circle.
“The entire Epstein saga reveals the falsehoods at the core of Trump’s political agenda, which have always been lies since he stepped off that golden escalator, claiming he wanted to aid working-class Americans,” Ossoff contended.
“Trump’s world is chaotic and intimately linked with Epstein, creating a government of the super-rich, by the super-elite, for the super-elite. This isn’t just about who they are, but what they’ve done. They slash health care to cut taxes for the wealthy. People are suffering across the nation,” Ossoff added.
However, there’s no concrete evidence establishing a significant connection between Trump and Epstein from the multitude of released Epstein documents. In fact, compared to numerous Democrats or liberal figures closely tied to Epstein, the number of Republicans linked to him is relatively small.
It’s noteworthy that without Epstein’s indictment on sex trafficking charges during the Trump administration in 2019, Britain’s Prince Andrew likely wouldn’t have faced legal consequences for his association with Epstein.
In another instance of Colbert using his platform for pro-Democratic election promotion, he let Ossoff elaborate on the forthcoming midterm elections in a lengthy segment, where Ossoff stated that “democracy” is at stake unless voters support far-left Democrats.
For instance, Ossoff revisited a debunked claim from 2020 regarding Trump allegedly contacting the Georgia statehouse, urging state Rep. Brad Raffensperger to “find out how many votes were needed to win.” However, Trump didn’t instruct Raffensperger to “find” votes as if to create fake ones; he simply hoped to ensure an accurate vote count, which Georgia officials refused.
Ossoff also made exaggerated claims regarding January 6, asserting that Trump has an “obsession” with “overturning the 2020 election.”
