'Just doing their job': Stephen Colbert says it was no 'INSURRECTION' while explaining staff arrests
Stephen Colbert, the host of ‘The Late Show’ backed his production team, consisting of seven people, on his show's June 20, episode after they got arrested by Capitol Police last week. He began the episode by explaining what happened, what his crew were up to, where they were and who they spoke to, specifically mentioning that they had permission to be there.
Mentioning the chain of events, the 58-year-old comedian said, “Last week I heard from my old colleague Triumph the Insult Comic Dog,” he said and continued by saying, “Triumph offered to go down to DC to interview some congresspeople to highlight the Jan 6 hearings. I said ‘Sure, if you can get anyone to agree to talk to you, because — and please don’t take this as an insult — you’re a puppet.” Among those arrested was Robert Smigel, the longtime ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Late Night’ writer who has starred on Colbert’s show in character as 'Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.' Focussing on the arrest, the host explained, “After they finished their interviews, they were doing some last-minute puppetry in a hallway, when Triumph and my folks were approached and detained by the Capitol police — which actually isn’t that surprising.”
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He further added, "The Capitol Police are much more cautious than they were 18 months ago and for a very good reason. If you don’t know what that reason is I know what news network you watch. The Capitol police were just doing their job, my staff was just doing their job, everyone was very professional, everyone was very calm. My staffers were detained, processed and released. A very unpleasant experience for my staff."
The host said it was a “fairly simple story” until Fox News came into the picture and “started claiming that my puppet squad had committed insurrection at the US Capitol building”. He said, “First of all: what? Second of all: huh? Third of all, they weren’t in the Capitol building. Fourth of all and I’m shocked I have to explain the diference, but an insurrection involves interrupting the lawful action of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. This was first-degree puppetry."
Charged with unlawful entry
The seven members of the production team were charged with unlawful entry, as per reports by CNN. The authorities said that at 8.30 pm they had a call for a disturbance in the Longworth building. “Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day,” the capitol police said. As per the reports, the interviews were authorized and pre-approved through Congressional aides of the members interviewed, a network spokesman said.
