Stephen Colbert began his live coverage of the Democratic debate that took place in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, Tuesday night by noting just how much of a trainwreck it was.
“These folks said a lot of words, and I did not hear many of them,” the Late Show host remarked. “Because these candidates were speaking all over each other.”
Colbert had jokes about all seven of the remaining contenders, but his harshest material was reserved for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg—especially his failure to give a sufficient answer on his controversial use of the stop-and-frisk policy.
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“I’ve met with black leaders to try to get an understanding of how I can better position myself,” Bloomberg said at one point in the debate, to which Colbert replied, “Mr. Mayor, I have a feeling a lot of black leaders want your position to be spread eagle up against a wall.”
Then, in response to Bloomberg pointing out his black supporters in the debate audience, Colbert imitated him by saying, “A lot of them are in the audience tonight, officers—stop them, check their pockets, there’s an endorsement in there someplace, I promise you.”
That line drew loud jeers from the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater, prompting the host to break from his script. “All of Bloomberg’s voters are here tonight I think,” he said with a smile. But he pressed on, covering Elizabeth Warren’s latest takedown of the mayor’s non-disclosure agreements as well as Bloomberg’s lame attempts to make jokes during the debate.
“Oh, OK, now I understand why he asks people to sign an NDA after he tells a joke,” Colbert said. “No one wants to remember that.”
As for Bloomberg’s odd Naked Cowboy joke, the host added, “Now, for those of you who don’t live in New York City, there’s this crazy man who wanders around the city and will not leave people alone. And that man’s name is Mike Bloomberg.”
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