Colbert: ‘How Many Times Do We Need to Learn the Lesson that Violence Has No Role in Our Politics?’

COLBERT Right now is ░░░░░░░░ recorded at 7 00 ░░░░░░░░ M in light of ░░░░░░░░ in light of the ░░░░░░░░ the United States came ░░░░░░░░ to a great tragedy ░░░░░░░░ Saturday when at a ░░░░░░░░ rally down in Pennsylvania ░░░░░░░░ 20 year old gunman ░░░░░░░░ and nearly killed a ░░░░░░░░ president and the man ░░░░░░░░ today became the 2024 ░░░░░░░░ nominee My immediate reaction ░░░░░░░░ I saw this on ░░░░░░░░ were horror at what ░░░░░░░░ unfolding relief that Donald ░░░░░░░░ had lived and frankly ░░░░░░░░ for my beautiful country ░░░░░░░░ then fresh horror as ░░░░░░░░ learned that attendees had ░░░░░░░░ also been shot one ░░░░░░░░ whom died at the ░░░░░░░░ So as we have ░░░░░░░░ many times in the ░░░░░░░░ when some tragic event ░░░░░░░░ shocked the nation I ░░░░░░░░ starting the show tonight ░░░░░░░░ at the desk though ░░░░░░░░ could just as easily ░░░░░░░░ the show moaning on ░░░░░░░░ floor because how many ░░░░░░░░ do we need to ░░░░░░░░ the lesson that violence ░░░░░░░░ no role in our ░░░░░░░░ that the entire objective ░░░░░░░░ a democracy is to ░░░░░░░░ out our differences with ░░░░░░░░ the saying goes Ballot ░░░░░░░░ a bullet Now right ░░░░░░░░ the attack a young ░░░░░░░░ of mine he texted ░░░░░░░░ saying How is this ░░░░░░░░ in America in 2024 ░░░░░░░░ I understood his shock ░░░░░░░░ I m old enough ░░░░░░░░ one of my earliest ░░░░░░░░ is sitting in a ░░░░░░░░ room with my sister ░░░░░░░░ my parents little black ░░░░░░░░ white TV and seeing ░░░░░░░░ Kennedy s coffin on ░░░░░░░░ slow train from New ░░░░░░░░ down to Washington And ░░░░░░░░ the result of extremist ░░░░░░░░ or mental illness that ░░░░░░░░ is with us still ░░░░░░░░ the shooting of a ░░░░░░░░ baseball practice that seriously ░░░░░░░░ Steve Scalise to the ░░░░░░░░ to kidnap and kill ░░░░░░░░ Gretchen Whitmer to the ░░░░░░░░ attack that nearly killed ░░░░░░░░ Pelosi to the horrors ░░░░░░░░ January 6th to this ░░░░░░░░ recent attack And the ░░░░░░░░ who fired the shots ░░░░░░░░ to have conflicted and ░░░░░░░░ motivations at least by ░░░░░░░░ standards of today s ░░░░░░░░ left and right divide ░░░░░░░░ barely out of boyhood ░░░░░░░░ reportedly donated to a ░░░░░░░░ group in 2021 then ░░░░░░░░ as a Republican that ░░░░░░░░ year So we may ░░░░░░░░ understand his motivation nor ░░░░░░░░ that necessarily our job ░░░░░░░░ job as American citizens ░░░░░░░░ to reject violence and ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric in this time ░░░░░░░░ crisis however hard we ░░░░░░░░ to fight for our ░░░░░░░░ And in that regard ░░░░░░░░ only is violence evil ░░░░░░░░ is useless As I ░░░░░░░░ when Representative Steve Scalise ░░░░░░░░ shot violence is the ░░░░░░░░ refuge of the incompetent ░░░░░░░░ or even calls for ░░░░░░░░ invalidate any ideas This ░░░░░░░░ in Milwaukee and next ░░░░░░░░ in Chicago these conventions ░░░░░░░░ be about the candidates ░░░░░░░░ are nominated but they ░░░░░░░░ really about the ideas ░░░░░░░░ these two candidates represent ░░░░░░░░ the future America they ░░░░░░░░ to lead us to ░░░░░░░░ the wake of this ░░░░░░░░ on Saturday many Americans ░░░░░░░░ both sides of the ░░░░░░░░ from President Biden to ░░░░░░░░ Johnson are calling on ░░░░░░░░ of us to change ░░░░░░░░ we see each other ░░░░░░░░ we treat each other ░░░░░░░░ we talk to each ░░░░░░░░ That may or may ░░░░░░░░ happen but those conflicting ░░░░░░░░ will remain the same ░░░░░░░░ this week we re ░░░░░░░░ to do our best ░░░░░░░░ talk about those ideas ░░░░░░░░ people who represent those ░░░░░░░░ and many other things ░░░░░░░░ guests And who knows ░░░░░░░░ we re lucky maybe ░░░░░░░░ fart jokes This is ░░░░░░░░ Late Show.’”