During a Monday night episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the audience burst out laughing at the wrong moment, leaving Colbert and CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins embarrassed.
The incident began when Collins, who appeared as a guest during the show, was speaking with Colbert about the upcoming November election and the sudden shake-up of President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat nominee. As per usual, they were focusing heavily on attacking former President Donald Trump and praising Biden and Harris — claiming that Trump is having trouble finding a line of attack against the new Democrat nominee.
“Trump has kind of been thrown on his heels by this and he’s not really sure how to go after Vice President Harris,” the CNN anchor claimed. “He knew his attack lines on President Biden. He really has struggled with how to go after someone who’s twenty years younger than him, who is a different gender, a different race… it’s kind of been this moment where he has not been able to coalesce around a single attack line.”
Colbert then responded with a line that made the audience burst into laughter, though that was not his intention.
“I know you guys are objective over there, that you just report the news as it is,” Colbert said, referring to CNN.
As the crowd erupted into laughter, Colbert immediately turned his attention to the audience, looking bewildered.
“No, I know, CNN makes a, uh, I know this…” he stuttered as the crowd continued laughing.
Collins also looked startled, immediately asking: “Was that supposed to be a laugh line?”
“Ah, it wasn’t supposed to be, but…I guess it is,” Colbert awkwardly replied before trailing off with an “umm” and immediately changing the subject.
NEW: Audience starts cracking up after a serious Stephen Colbert tells CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that CNN “just reports the news as it is.”
Remarkable.
Colbert: “I know you guys are objective over [at CNN], you just report the news as it is.”
Audience: *Laughs hysterically*… pic.twitter.com/9R8iv2UXeN
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 13, 2024
Social media lit up with mockery over the clip, with many X users pointing out that even Colbert’s far-left New York City audience knows that CNN is a Democrat propaganda outlet.
“The audience knows CNN is not objective – something Kaitlan Collins and Stephen Colbert don’t seem to understand,” wrote user @amuse.
The audience knows CNN is not objective – something Kaitlan Collins and Stephen Colbert don't seem to understand.
h/t @CollinRugg pic.twitter.com/R3t0F4wplk— @amuse (@amuse) August 13, 2024
“I absolutely loved the joke about CNN being objective. It was a great moment between you and the audience,” one user responded.
I absolutely loved the joke about CNN being objective. It was a great moment between you and the audience.
— Tim Hatch (@timhatchlive) August 13, 2024
“Everyone knows what a joke CNN is. The fact they still believe people take them seriously is what’s actually hilarious,” another user wrote.
Everyone knows what a joke CNN is. The fact they still believe people take them seriously is what’s actually hilarious.
— SaltyGoat (@SaltyGoat17) August 13, 2024